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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 























[See p. 68 


THE TEA-PARTY 









LITTLE PRECIOUS 


By 

GERTRUDE SMITH 

AUTHOR OF “THE STORIES OF PETER AND ELLEN” “THE 
ROGGIE AND REGGIE STORIES” “THE LOVABLE TALES 
OF JANEY AND JOSEY AND JOE” ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 




HARPER ^ BROTHERS 

NEW YORK AND LONDON 

M C M I V 



OOWQReSS 

Two 4?OH»eS ««*a)V9d 

SEP 22 1904 i 

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CLASS CL >0(0. Na 

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Copyright, 1904, by Harper & Brothers. 

ylU rights reserved. 

Published September, 1904. 


TO 

DEAR LITTLE PEGGIE PEABODY 

THIS BOOK IS LOVINGLY DEDICATED 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Janey’s Long Journey 3 

Mamma’s Little Home 15 

A Wonderful Secret 23 

The Naughty Letter 34 

The “Supposing” Day 45 

Janey’s First School 54 

Runaway Janey 63 

Golden Eggs 74 

The Janey-Boy Story 84 

Playing Fairies 96 

The Little Automobile 106 

Jamey Boy 117 

Good-Bye, Little Town! 128 

Oh, Happy Day! 139 


c 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


THE TEA-PARTY 

“jANEY WENT ACROSvS THE AISLE AND SAT DOWN BY 

THE OLD MAN ” 

'‘JANEY SAID, ‘I’VE WISHED FOR A HUNDRED YEARS 
THAT I HAD A LITTLE RED PARASOL ’ ” . . . . 

“ JANEY SAID, ‘ I FEEL JUST LIKE A LITTLE WATER- 

FAIRY ’ ” 

“miss anna bell ROSS SAID, ‘ ARE YOU LITTLE 

JANEY MONROE?”’ 

“ THEY WENT DOWN THE GARDEN PATH TO THE GARDEN 

GATE together” 

“ AUNT ACKEY SAID, ‘ LITTLE PRECIOUS IS DREAMING !’ ” 
“the big, black dog came right up to JANEY ” 

“out stepped a big, yellow rooster, and out 

STEPPED A BIG, YELLOW HEn!” 

“all at once a blue-jay flew down, and said, 
‘ cheer! cheer!’ ” 

“ OLIVE SAID, ‘ OH, I SEE YOU, JANEY AND JOSEY AND 
JOE’” 


Frontispiece 


Facing p. lO 


1 / 


20 




30 

36 / 

50 

58 

66 ✓ 
76 ^ 
88 ' 


100 


Vll 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


LITTLE JOE PLAYED WITH THE LITTLE AUTOMOBILE 

ALL THE NEXT DAY ” 

JANEY AND JAMEY SAILED THEIR BOATS ON THE 

LITTLE brook” 

OLIVE SANG, ‘whip-poor-will!’ AND JANEY SANG, 

‘ WHIP-POOR-WILL ! ’” 

LITTLE JOE SHOWED THEM HOW TO MOVE THEIR ARMS 
AND LEGS ” 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


























JANEY’S LONG JOURNEY 


O NE morning Janey’s Mamma came 
to her little room, and said, “Wake 
up. Little Precious ! Papa has some 
wonderful news to tell you, dear.” 

And Janey listened to her Mamma, and 
then she jumped out of bed and dressed 
quickly and ran down-stairs to the dining- 
room. 

And Josey and Joe and Papa and 
Mamma sat at the breakfast-table waiting 
for her. 

And when Janey sat down at the 
breakfast - table, little Joe said, “Oh, 
Janey, dear, I wish I were you! You 
3 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 

have all the fun because you are the 
baby!” 

And Josey said, “I wish I could go, 
too, but I must stay at home and help 
Grandmamma keep house!” 

And Janey looked at Papa and said, 
“What does little Joe mean. Papa? 
What does Josey mean ? Where am I 
going ?” 

And Papa laughed and said, “Ask 
Mamma ; she will tell you.” 

And Mamma smiled and said, “ When 
I was a little girl, like you, dear Janey, I 
lived in a little town in a beautiful little 
valley where the roses bloom all the year 
around.” 

And Janey clapped her hands and said, 
“Oh, Mamma, am I going to the little 
town where you used to live when you 
were a little girl ?” 


4 


JANEY’S LONG JOURNEY 

And Mamma smiled and said, “Yes, you 
are going with Papa and with me. Grand- 
ma is coming to stay with Josey and Joe.” 

And Janey clapped her hands and said, 
“Oh, let my Josey go, too! Let little 
Joe go, too!” 

And Papa said, “No, little Joe must 
go to school, and Josey must go to 
school.” 

And little Joe said, “You are going 
away, to stay and stay, and perhaps 
never come back, dear Janey!” 

And Janey said, “Oh, Mamma, I do 
not want to go away and stay away from 
my beautiful home, and not see Josey and 
Joe!” 

And Mamma said, “Papa must go on 
business, and I want to go with him, but 
you may stay at home if you want to.” 

And Janey jumped down, and ran and 

5 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


put her arms around her mother’s neck, 
and said, “I want to go with you. 
Mamma!” 

And Mamma said, “I am glad my 
Janey is going with me.” 

And Janey said, “I will write letters to 
Josey and Joe, and they can write letters 
to me.” 

And Papa said, “Yes, and three months 
will fly by before we can think, and then 
we will all come home again.” 

And that day Aunt Susan Mehetible 
came down in her splendid carriage, and 
when she heard that Janey was going 
away for three long months she caught 
her little lace handkerchief up to her 
eyes and said, “Oh, dear me, I canH let 
that precious child go so far away and stay 
three months T"* 

And Janey hugged Aunt Susan Meheti- 

6 


JANEY’S LONG JOURNEY 

ble dear, and said, “I’ll write you a letter, 
and tell you all about it!” 

And that night when Janey was cuddled 
in bed her Mamma came in to kiss her 
good-night, and said, “Janey, dear, while 
we are away you and I and Papa are 
going to live in the little house where I 
used to live when I was a little Lulu- 
girl.” 

And Janey hugged Mamma close and 
said, “Oh, darling Mamma, it will be fun 
to live in the little house where you used 
to live when you were a little girl !” 

And the next day Mamma packed two 
trunks — one very large trunk and one 
very little trunk. And in the very little 
trunk Mamma put all of Janey’s dresses, 
and all of Janey’s playthings, and all of 
Janey’s books. In the very large trunk 
she put all her own dresses, and all of 
7 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


Papa’s clothes, and a great many books 
and pictures. 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible came down 
in her splendid carriage to take them all 
to the station. 

Josey and Joe and Grandma cried when 
they saw the train coming, the train that 
was to take little Janey away, but Aunt 
Susan Mehetible dear didn’t cry. She 
held her head high, and looked cross and 
said, “I wish you would all stay at home, 
where you belongs and not go away on busi- 
ness 

And Papa laughed, and kissed Aunt 
Susan Mehetible, and said, “ When I 
come home I shall have a great deal of 
money, and I will buy me a splendid car- 
riage like yours.” 

And Josey and Joe hugged and kissed 
Mamma and Papa, again and again. And 


JANEY’S LONG JOURNEY 

then — oh, then, the train came, and they 
all said, “ Good-bye ! Good-bye ! Good- 
bye!” 

And Mamma and Papa and precious 
Janey got on the tram; and the bell rang, 
and the whistle blew, and they had started 
on their long journey ! And after a few 
minutes Janey stopped crying, and looked 
about the car to see what she could see. 

There was a dear old man just across 
the aisle of the car and he was looking at 
Janey and smiling. 

“Come over here and see me, you 
sweet little girl,” he said. 

And Mamma said, “Yes, go and see 
the dear old man, Janey.” 

And Janey went across the aisle of the 
car, and sat down in the seat by the dear 
old man. 

“ I am going to the little town where 

9 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


my Mamma used to live when she was a 
little girl,” said Janey. 

And the old man said, “ Oh, hi, ho, is 
that so? Well, that will be fun. I should 
think you would laugh and not cry!” 

And Janey said, “I am glad to go, but 
I am sorry to leave my Josey and Joe and 
Grandma and Aunt Susan Mehetible.” 

And the old man put his hand in his 
pocket and said, “There, do not cryj 
wait; ril give you something to make 
your eyes shine.” And the old man put 
his hand in his pocket, and took out a 
bright five-dollar gold piece, and gave it to 
Janey! 

And Janey’s Mamma said, “Oh no, 
no, you must not give that five-dollar gold 
piece to my little girl!” 

And the old man laughed, and said, 
“I never met but one sweeter, dearer little 
lo 






JANEY’S LONG JOURNEY 

girl in all my life. Five-dollar gold pieces 
grow on bushes down where I live, and I 
give them away whenever I choose.” 

And Janey looked up in the old man’s 
face and said, “You just say that for a 
joke. My Papa has to work and work, 
and go away on business, to earn five- 
dollar gold pieces.” 

And the old man laughed, and said, 
“ There ! the blessed child has stopped cry- 
ing! What is your name, little maiden 

And Janey smiled, and said, “Why, 
my name is Janey Monroe — didn’t you 
know it when you gave me the money 

And the old man laughed, and said, 
“ How should I know your name, child ? 
And oh, dear me, when the cars stop at 
the very next station I shall have to say 
good-bye!” 

And Janey looked up in the old man’s 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


face and said, “ I love you very much, 
and I will remember you.” 

And the old man smiled, and said, 
“ Well, I guess you are a child that loves 
every one, little Janey.” 

And Janey said, “ Haven’t you a little 
girl at home 

The old man shook his head and said, 
“ No, not now, my sweet little heart, but 
long ago I had a little girl with brown 
eyes, just like yours, and brown curls, just 
like yours, and a sweet smile, just like 
yours.” 

And then — the very next minute the 
cars stopped at a little station, and the 
dear old man said, “ Good-bye.” 

And Papa took Janey on his knee, and 
said, “ Little Precious, do you know we 
are going to ride in the cars all day and 
all night, and all day to-morrow, too .^” 


12 


JANEY’S LONG JOURNEY 

And Janey clapped her hands and said, 
“Oh, goody! goody! I like to ride on 
the cars all day and all night !” And 
Janey rested her head against Papa’s 
shoulder and went to sleep, and slept for 
an hour, and when she woke up there 
were two little girls in the seat across the 
aisle. And Janey smiled at the little 
girls, and the little girls smiled at Janey. 
And Janey went across and said, “What 
are your names, little girls 

And one little girl said, “ My name is 
Ellen Maud Alexandrina May.” And 
the other little girl said, “ My name is 
Mary Margaret Elutheria May.” 

And oh, how Janey laughed ! “What 
funny long names!” she said. “What 
funny long names !” 

And the little girls said, “ What is your 
name .^” 


13 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 

And Janey said, “ My name is only 
Janey Monroe.” 

And one of the little girls said, “My 
father is in the next car and we are going 
one hundred miles to see our Grand- 
mamma.” 

And Janey said, “Mine is at home 
with Josey and Joe.” 

And then they were acquainted. And 
Janey played all day in the cars with those 
two little girls, and had a splendid time. 

And when night came Janey went to 
bed in a nice cosey berth in the sleeping- 
car, and slept all night as sound as if she 
had been at home in her own little bed. 


MAMMA’S LITTLE HOME 


A ND when Janey woke up next morn- 
/— % ing on the train it was Thursday, 
and never, no, never in all her 
life did our dear Janey forget that Thurs- 
day — the day when she reached the little 
town in the little valley, where darling 
Mamma had lived when she was a little 
girl ! 

Dear, precious Mamma! Janey had 
never seen her quite so excited and 
pleased as she was when she saw the 
little town where she had lived when she 
was a little girl. 

“ Oh, Janey dear!” Mamma cried, clap- 
15 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


ping her hands. “ See, see, there is my 
little river, winding away like a silver 
thread! And oh, there is my lovely 
mountain, just the shape of a lovely 
cone !” 

And Papa put his arm around Mamma, 
right there at the station, and said, “ How 
happy you are to - day ! But wait till 
you see the little white house where you 
used to live ! ” 

And Papa and Mamma and dear Janey 
went down the street of the little town, 
under the locust-trees, that were full of 
blossoms and singing birds. 

And Mamma clapped her hands, and 
said, “ Oh, Janey, see, there is my lit- 
tle house, half covered with little pink 
roses!” 

And Janey looked, and saw the dear- 
est, prettiest little white house, in a garden 

i6 


MAMMA’S LITTLE HOME 


of lovely roses, and half covered with lit- 
tle pink roses ! 

And precious Mamma’s eyes were full 
of tears. “ Oh, oh, I am so happy to 
see you again, little house !” she said. 

And Janey spread out her arms with 
joy, and said, “ Oh, I wish I were a lit- 
tle bird, so that I could fly to the top of 
that locust-tree and sing — I am so happy 
and free !” 

And Papa laughed. “ Well, I am 
happy, too. Come, let us go in and see 
if we feel at home in this little house.” 

And Papa and Mamma and Janey all 
went up the walk, and into the little 
house together. 

And the minute they stepped into the 
little house. Mamma said, “ Why, every- 
thing looks just as it used to look when 
I was a little girl! You dear, blessed 

17 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


Papa, you had some one furnish this lit- 
tle house for me so that it looks just as 
it used to look when I was a little girl ! ” 
And Papa said, “Yes, I wrote to Aunt 
Ackey, and she furnished it for you, lit- 
tle Mother.” 

And Papa and Mamma and Janey went 
into the little dining-room, and there — 
why, there was a nice little supper all 
spread on a little round table ! 

And Janey clapped her hands, and 
said, “ It is all just like a dear little 
playhouse, isn’t it. Mamma 

And there on the little table was fried 
chicken, and raspberry-tarts, and tea and 
bread and butter and peaches ! 

And Mamma said, “Why, who got 
this good little supper for us, Papa.^” 
And just then the dearest little old 
lady, with pretty white curls, stepped out 

i8 


MAMMA’S LITTLE HOME 


of a closet, and said, “ Do you remem- 
ber little Aunt Ackey?” 

And Mamma hugged the little old lady, 
and said, “ I guess I do remember little 
Aunt Ackey!” 

And Aunt Ackey said, “ I suppose 
this is the wonderful Janey I’ve heard 
so much about?” 

And Papa said, “ Yes, this is our dar- 
ling Janey.” 

And Aunt Ackey said, “ I have a 
present for you, Janey 5 just like one I 
gave your mother when she was a little 
girl.” 

And Aunt Ackey went into the closet, 
and when she came out she had a little 
red silk parasol for Janey ! 

And Janey opened the little red para- 
sol, and danced around the room and 
said, “ I’ve wished and wished for a 

19 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


hundred years that I had a little red para- 
sol, Aunt Ackey!” 

And Aunt Ackey laughed, and said, 
“For a hundred years a little girl seven 
years old has longed for a little red 
parasol ! ” 

And they all sat down at the little 
round table to supper, and just then the 
door opened, and in walked a beautiful 
lady, and a beautiful little girl. 

And Mamma said, “ Oh, Janey, this 
is your very own Aunt Emma Jean, and 
your very own little cousin Olive ! ” 

And Janey and Olive kissed each other, 
and smiled, but they did not say a word. 

And then they all sat down to supper 
again at the dear little table — Papa and 
Mamma and Janey and Aunt Ackey and 
Aunt Emma Jean and Olive. 

And after supper Janey and Olive 
20 









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“JANEY SAID, ‘I’VE WISHED FOR A HUNDRED YEARS THAT I HAD A LITTLE 

RED parasol’” 





MAMMA’S LITTLE HOME 


walked out in the garden of roses, and 
talked and talked and talked together. 
Janey told Olive all about Josey and 
Joe, and her beautiful home. 

And then Olive said, “ How many 
prayers do you say.?” 

And Janey said, “I say two; how 
many do you.?” 

And Olive said, “ I say two, just as 
you do, and now I guess we’re acquainted, 
Janey.” 

And Janey said, “Yes, we are ac- 
quainted now, and to-morrow I’ll write 
Josey and Joe a letter, and tell them 
about you, and how very much I love 
you, Olive.” 

And little Olive threw her arms around 
Janey’s neck, and said, “ I love you, 
too. You are the most lovablest, prettiest 
little girl I ever had to play with!” 

21 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And then Olive’s Mamma called to 
her, and Olive went home, and our 
precious Janey went to bed — in a little 
room in the house where her Mamma 
had lived when she was a little girl. 


A WONDERFUL SECRET 


in the morning, when precious 
/— % Janey woke up in the little bed 
in the little house in the little 
town where her Mamma used to live 
when she was a little girl, she heard pit- 
ter patter^ pitter patter on the window- 
pane. 

“Oh, hear it rain!” she said, and sat 
up in bed. And, pop ! came a big, big 
Ache into Janey’s heart. And the big 
Ache said, “ Oh, dear me, I want to 
see my Josey and Joe!” 

And Janey smiled through her tears, 
and said, “ Go away, naughty Ache ! I 
^3 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


will write to my Josey and Joe to-day — 
a long, long letter this rainy day.” 

And Janey jumped out of bed and 
ran to her little bureau, and there was 
little Joe’s picture, and a dear, sweet pict- 
ure of Josey. And Janey kissed the 
picture of little Joe, and said, “I love 
you ! You are the very best little broth- 
er in all the world !” 

And Janey kissed Josey’s picture, and 
said, “You beautiful darling Josey, I love 
you two thousand bushels, and I’ll write 
you a letter to-day!” 

And just then Mamma came into 
the room, and said, “ Good - morning, 
you lovable child ! good - morning, my 
Janey!” 

And Janey threw her arms around her 
mother’s neck, and said, “ Mr. Ache 
came into my heart, and tried to make 
24 


A WONDERFUL SECRET 


me cry to see Josey and Joe, but I 
scolded the old fellow and he ran 
away!” 

And Mamma laughed, and said, “A 
rainy day is a happy day in this little 
town. When I was a little girl I used 
to put on an old, old dress on a warm 
rainy day, and run out in the rain and 
have a bath.” 

And Janey said, “Oh, may I do that. 
Mamma May I put on an old dress 
and go out in the rain 

And her Mamma said, “Yes, you may 
go out at half- past ten. You may run 
down the lane to little Aunt Ackey’s 
house, just as I used to do when I was 
a little girl.” 

And Papa came to the door, and 
said, “ Hi, ho, little bird ! I was 
going to take you and Mamma to my 

^5 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


gold-mine to-day, up in the hills, but 
we will have to wait till the sun comes 
out.” 

And Janey said, “Your gold-mine. 
Papa ! Have you a gold - mine, where 
they dig dollars and dollars out of the 
ground 

And Papa laughed. “Well, not exact- 
ly. But I have a gold-mine up in the 
hills, where you can dig pieces of gold 
to make into dollars.” 

And Janey looked up at Papa, with 
wide - open eyes of surprise, and said, 
“Does little Joe know it, Papa.-^” 

And Papa said, “No; I was afraid 
he would tease to come, and I wanted 
him to stay in school.” 

And Janey said, “We will have a 
great deal of money, won’t we, Papa.^” 

And Papa laughed, and said, “Yes; 

26 


A WONDERFUL SECRET 


we will be even richer than Aunt Susan 
Mehetible dear, I guess.” 

And Janey opened her eyes wider than 
before, and said, “ Doesn’t Josey know. 
Papa.?” 

And Papa said, “ No, Josey doesn’t 
know either; and, Janey, for the present 
you must not tell Josey and Joe about 
our gold-mine.” 

And Janey said, “ Oh, Papa, I don’t 
believe I can keep the secret; I am so 
excited about it ! I don’t believe I can. 
Papa!” 

And Papa frowned, and said, “ Why, 
Janey Monroe, I wish we had left you 
at home !” 

But Mamma said, “ Oh no ; Janey 
will not tell Josey and Joe. As soon as 
school is out. Papa will tell them. Every 
year we are coming to stay here for a while.” 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Janey said, “ I will try to keep 
the secret, but it seems as though Pd 
just break in two if I couldn’t tell little 
Joe!” 

And then our Janey knew exactly why 
she had come with Mamma and Papa to 
the little town, and just why Josey and 
Joe were left at home. And it seemed 
too wonderful and strange to be true. 

I suppose Janey knew before that 
gold came from the earth — but wasn’t it 
grand that her own dear Papa had a gold- 
mine where gold could be found ? 

And after breakfast Janey sat down at 
a little desk by the window, and wrote a 
very long letter to Josey and Joe. This 
was Janey’s first letter : 

“Dearest Josey and Little Joe: — 
I kissed your pictures this morning, and 
28 


A WONDERFUL SECRET 


it was raining, so I loved you even more 
than if the sun was shining and I could 
play out-of-doors. I am going out in 
the rain in an old, old dress, just as Mam- 
ma used to do when she was a little girl. 
I am going to run down the little lane 
to Aunt Ackey’s house as fast as I can 
paddle. 

“There is a little girl here named Olive, 
our very own cousin. We were bashful 
and couldn’t talk together at first. She 
is so pretty, and more polite than we are. 
I am going to be like her, so every one 
will notice it, just the way they do my 
curls. Mamma talked beautiful after I 
went to bed last night. She said, ‘ God 
is love, precious Janey. We must chase 
away every thought that is not like love.’ 
I wish I could tell you a big, big some- 
thing Papa told me not to tell. It begins 
29 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


with ‘g’ — but you never can guess it, 
and you mustn’t try. Your loving 

“ Janey.” 

And then Janey put on an old, old 
dress, and ran out into the warm rain. 

“ I feel just like a little water- fairy. 
Mamma,” she said. “ I feel just like 
this!” And Janey danced about on the 
lawn and Looked so funny and happy. 

And Mamma laughed, too, and clapped 
her hands, and said, “You look just as 
I used to look when I was a little girl! 
Now run down the little lane to Aunt 
Ackey’s house and see what she will 
say.” 

And Janey ran down the little grassy 
lane to the tiny white house where Aunt 
Ackey lived. And Aunt Ackey opened 
the door, and held up her hands, and 

30 









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A WONDERFUL SECRET 


said, “Well, forevermore! I thought 
sure it was my little Lulu come back 
again ! ” 

And Janey said, “No, it isn’t little 
Mamma — it’s me!” 

And Aunt Ackey said, “ I used to 
take off your Mamma’s wet dress and 
wrap her in a shawl, and keep her until 
the sun shone.” 

And Janey said, “Wrap me in a shawl 
and keep me until the sun shines !” 

And Aunt Ackey wrapped Janey in a 
big black-and-white plaid shawl, and put 
her in the arm-chair. 

And Janey said, “And then what did 
you do when Mamma was a little girl 
and came to see you.?” 

And Aunt Ackey laughed, and said, 
“Well, ten to one I went to this little 
cupboard and found a cherry-pie, and 

31 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


said, ‘ Can you eat a cherry-pie, quick 
as a cat can wink his eye ?’ ” 

“And what did precious little Mamma 
say?” asked Janey. 

And Aunt Ackey said, “Well, your 
Mamma would laugh, and say, ‘Yes, I 
can eat a cherry-pie, quick as a cat can 
wink his eye !’ ” And Aunt Ackey went 
to the very same little cupboard and took 
out a tiny little cherry-pie and gave it to 
Janey. 

And Aunt Ackey said, “Your Mamma 
went to school to me when she was a 
little girl.” 

And Janey jumped down off her chair 
and began to dance around the room. 
“Oh, goody, I’ve thought of something!” 
she said. “ Oh, goody. I’ve thought of 
a splendid plan!” 

And Janey ate her little cherry-pie 
3 ^ 


A WONDERFUL SECRET 


very quick, and said, “ I want to go right 
home. Aunt Ackey — I want to see Papa 
and tell him my splendid plan !” 

And Aunt Ackey said, “ All right, 
you may wear one of my old dresses, 
and leave your own to dry — but what is 
your splendid plan, little Janey?” 

And Janey said, “ Oh, I can’t tell you. 
Aunt Ackey, but I must go home right 
away !” 

And very soon Janey was running 
home through the rain in Aunt Ackey’s 
old red dress as fast as her dear little 
feet could take her. 


THE NAUGHTY LETTER 

J ANEY loved the little town where 
her Mamma had lived when she was 
a little girl more and more. The 
dear little town was called Marysville. 

Janey had never seen big, ripe peaches 
hanging on trees before. But in every 
one’s yard in dear little Marysville there 
were peach-trees hanging full of big, ripe 
peaches ! And in every one’s yard in 
dear little Marysville there was a grape- 
vine arbor — and oh, oh, what splendid, 
big bunches of purple grapes ! 

And Janey loved the dear little house 
where her precious Mamma had lived 
34 


THE NAUGHTY LETTER 


when she was a little girl more and 
more. 

And that day when Janey came home 
from little Aunt Ackey’s house in the 
rain she sat right down and wrote another 
letter to Josey and Joe. 

“ Dear, Darling Josey and Little 
Joe: — I will write you another letter 
this very same day. I am going to hint 
about something — just hint a wee little 
bit about something — you must never, 
never tell that I hinted. 

“ If you only were here, Josey and Joe, 
you would love this dear little town, 
and this dear, dear little house where 
our precious Mamma used to live when 
she was a little girl. Every one in this 
little town has peach - trees hanging full 
of big, beautiful peaches! There is a 

35 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


dear little brook right in our yard. Oh, 
it does run so fast right through our 
yard ! And there is a long grape-vine 
arbor, and oh, so many grapes — oh, so 
sweet and juicy! And oh, Josey and Joe, 
you would love dear little Aunt Ackey. 

“She knows all about long division! 
She could teach you about it — but don’t 
tell I hinted. ^ you were only here, she 
could teach you long division, because 
she used to teach our precious Mamma. 

“And oh, Josey and Joe, once Mam- 
ma read us a story about a little boy 
and girl who ran away from home and 
went a long, long way on the cars to see 
their Grandma, and every one scolded 
them awful^ but every one forgave them 
and loved them. 

“ Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, gave 
me a five-dollar gold piece to put in 

36 






$ 


y 

S! 






MISS ANNA BELL ROSS SAID, ‘ ARE YOU LITTLE JANEY MONROE?”’ 
















THE NAUGHTY LETTER 


my bank for Christmas. If you open 
my bank and take my five -dollar gold 
piece for something, I’ll not care a wee 
little bit, but please do not tell I hinted. 
Good-bye. Your own loving, 

* “Janey.” 

And just then pretty Miss Anna Bell 
Ross tapped on the door and came 
right in. 

And Miss Anna Bell Ross said, Oh, 
you dear, sweet little girl ! Are you lit- 
tle Janey Monroe 

And Janey folded her letter, and said, 
‘‘Yes, I am Janey. What is your name.^” 

And the very pretty young lady said, 
“ My name is Miss Anna Bell Ross. I 
live in this dear little town, and I used 
to play with your precious Mamma when 
she was a little girl.” 


37 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


Janey smiled, and said, “Did you 
truly play with my Mamma when she 
was a little girl ?” 

And just then Miss Anna Bell Ross 
saw the letter, and she wasn’t at all 
polite. She took the letter from Janey’s 
hand without asking. 

“ Why, can you write a letter all by 
yourself, you beautiful, sweet little Janey 
she said. 

And Janey held out her hand for her 
letter, and said, “Yes, I can write a 
letter all by myself My darling Papa 
taught me to write when I was a wee 
little girl.” 

And Miss Anna Bell Ross laughed, 
and opened the letter, and said, “Well, 
you are certainly a wonder, Janey, if 
you can write a letter !” 

And Janey said, “ Oh, please, please 

38 


THE NAUGHTY LETTER 


do not read my letter, Miss Anna Bell 
Ross! Please do not read my letter to 
Josey and Joe !” 

And Miss Anna Bell Ross said, “Why, 
you sweet little girl, I want to see if you 
really can write, or if you were just 
making believe to write a letter.” 

And Janey said, “ I truly, truly can 
write. Miss Anna Bell Ross I” 

And Miss Anna Bell Ross laughed, 
and said, “ Well, you are a little won- 
der, Janey ! I’ve always heard that you 
were a bright little girl, but I think you 
are a little wonder!” 

And Miss Anna Bell Ross was not at 
all polite — she laughed, and read every 
word of Janey’s letter to Josey and Joe ! 
And when she had read the very last word 
she caught Janey into her arms, and 
said, “Oh, Janey, you dear little lovable 
39 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


girl ! I did not think you really could 
write ! You are such a very little girl. 
But you can write !” 

And Janey began to cry, and said, “ I 
didn’t want you to read my letter. Miss 
Anna Bell Ross. It is a secret ! ” 

And Miss Anna Bell Ross shook her 
head, and said, “ Oh, Janey, you sweet 
little girl, what would your Papa and 
Mamma say if they read that letter 

And Janey hung her pretty head, and 
said, “ I don’t know. Miss Anna Bell 
Ross.” 

And Miss Anna Bell Ross took Janey 
upon her lap, and kissed her again and 
again, and said, “ What does your good 
little, dear little heart tell you that Papa 
would think if he saw that letter 

And Janey hung her pretty head, and 
said, “ I guess Papa would think I was 
40 


THE NAUGHTY LETTER 


— oh, very wicked and naughty to hint 
to Josey and Joe to run away on the 
cars and come here !” 

And Miss Anna Bell Ross hugged 
Janey close in her arms, and said, “Well, 
it was not polite for me to read your 
letter, dear Janey.” 

And Janey said, “ I am glad you did 
read it. Miss Anna Bell Ross.” 

And Miss Anna Bell Ross said, “What 
shall I do with this letter, Janey .^” 

And Janey said, “You may take it 
away and tear it up. Miss Anna Bell 
Ross.” 

And very soon Miss Anna Bell Ross 
went away with that naughty letter, and 
Janey was left alone. And oh, our poor 
little Janey ! She sat down alone and 
cried and cried and cried, as though her 
little heart would break. 


41 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


“Oh, I want my Josey and Joe!” she 
cried. “ Oh, I want to go back to my 
own beautiful, big home and see my 
Josey and Joe !” 

And after a long, long hour dear 
Mamma came into the room and took 
Janey into her arms, and said, “ My 
darling, my good little Janey, don’t 
cry!” 

And Janey said, “ Oh, Mamma, I’m 
not your good little Janey! You don’t 
know about the letter!” 

And Mamma said, “Yes, I do, little 
loved one. Miss Anna Bell Ross told 
Mamma all about it.” 

And Janey hugged her Mamma close, 
and said, “Oh, Mamma, will you forgive 
me 

And Mamma said, “Yes, little precious, 
and Papa forgives you, too.” 

42 


THE NAUGHTY LETTER 


And Janey smiled through her tears, 
and said, “Oh, Mamma, three months is 
too many days to be away from our Josey 
and Joe !” 

And two bright tears rolled down 
Mamma’s cheeks, and she said, “Precious 
one, three months seems very long to 
Mamma, too !” 

And Janey said, “Oh, Mamma, I love 
this dear little town, but I want to go to 
my truly, truly home!” 

And Mamma said, “ Listen, little lov- 
ing heart — your birthday will come in a 
few days, and Papa is going to give you a 
beautiful, beautiful present !” 

And our Janey’s brown eyes opened 
wide, and she said, “ Oh, Mamma, what 
will Papa give me ?” 

And Mamma hugged Janey close and 
said, “ Papa will give you your own dear 
43 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 

Josey and Joe ! Your three little loving 
hearts should never have been parted !” 

And Janey clapped her hands and 
danced about the room, and said, “ Oh, 
Mamma, I’m so happy, so happy, so 
happy, so happy !” 

And dear Mamma laughed, and said, 
“ Pretty Miss Anna Bell Ross loves you 
dearly, Janey. She coaxed Papa to send 
for our Josey and Joe.” 

And Janey said, “ I’m glad Miss Anna 
Bell Ross read my letter ! I’ll love Miss 
Anna Bell Ross for ever and ever and 
ever /” 


THE “SUPPOSING” DAY 


O H, that was a happy day when 
Josey and Joe came to the little 
town where their mother had 
lived when she was a little girl ! 

That afternoon Janey said, “ Mamma, 
supposing that Miss Anna Bell Ross hadn’t 
read my letter to Josey and Joe, and sup- 
posing Josey and Joe had run away and 
were coming to-day — supposing right now 
they should come in that door, what would 
you say?” 

And precious Mamma laughed, and 
said, “I think I should say, ‘Why, Josey 
and Joe, why did you run away from your 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 

beautiful home ? Why are you here, my 
dears ?’ ” 

Andjaney said, “And supposing Josey 
and Joe would say, ‘We ran away. Mam- 
ma — we ran away because we wanted to 
see our own dear little sister Janey,’ what 
would you say. Mamma?” 

And Mamma laughed, and said, “Well, 
I suppose first I would kiss my dear Josey 
and Joe, and then I would say, ‘Now go 
right up-stairs and undress and go to bed, 
and stay in bed for a week! You have 
been very naughty.’ ” 

And Janey ran and threw her arms 
around Mamma’s neck, and said, “ Oh, 
I was the naughty, naughty one that told 
dear Josey and Joe to run away! Please, 
please don’t make them stay in bed for a 
week !” 

And Mamma laughed, and said, “You 

46 


THE “SUPPOSING” DAY 


dear little goosie, we are only suppos- 
ing!” 

And Janey said, “ I know it, Mamma 
— I am just supposing how terrible bad I 
would feel ! But supposing I hugged you 
like this, would you make them go to bed 
for a week ?” ^ 

And Mamma laughed, and said, “Well, 
perhaps not quite a week, but for a day or 
two.” 

And our sweet little Janey drew a deep 
breath, and said, “I’m glad, glad, glad 
they didn’t have to run away ! And I’m 
glad, glad, glad they are coming to-day ! ” 
And Mamma said, “What beautiful 
thing can we think to do to surprise our 
Josey and Joe, little darling 

And Janey danced about the room, and 
then she sat down and thought and thought 
for a long, long time. 

47 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Mamma smiled, and said, “ Well, 
what shall we do to surprise and amuse our 
Josey and Joe this happy day ?” 

And Janey clapped her hands, and said, 
“Oh, Mamma, I’ve thought of something 
so funny, so funny to do ! ” 

And Mamma said, “ What can it be ?” 

And Janey said, “ Supposing that you 
were a* little girl, with your hair in curls and 
tied with little red ribbons ! And suppos- 
ing I was a beautiful lady in a long dress, 
and we went down the garden path to meet 
Josey and Joe — oh, wouldn’t that amuse 
and surprise them ?” 

And Mamma laughed, and said, “You 
dear little Janey, it is a splendid plan, 
and I am sure it will amuse them !” 

And Janey clapped her hands, and said, 
“ And suppose I call you Lulu, and sup- 
pose you call me Mrs. Monroe. Won’t 
48 


THE “SUPPOSING” DAY 


that make them laugh and think we are 
funny ?” 

And Mamma laughed, and said, “ Yes ; 
suppose we dress right now, Mrs. Mon- 
roe. It is almost time for the train to 
come with Josey and Joe.” 

And Janey said, “Yes, Lulu, you must 
curl your hair real pretty, for I expect we 
may have company to-day.” 

And Mamma said to Janey, “All right, 
Mrs. Monroe, I’ll hurry and curl my hair 
and tie on little red ribbons.” 

And oh, oh, but you would have 
laughed, little reader, if you could have 
seen Mamma and Janey that happy sup- 
posing day ! 

Dear Mamma made such a sweet, big 
little girl, dressed in a very short dress, 
and with her pretty hair in curls ! 

And dear little Janey made an elegant, 

49 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


beautiful lady in a long blue dress of 
Mamma’s ! 

And when they were dressed they went 
down the garden path to the garden gate 
together. 

And very soon they heard the train stop 
at the station, and very soon they saw dear 
Papa coming with Josey and Joe. 

And oh, oh, how Papa laughed when 
he saw “Mrs. Monroe” and “Lulu” 
waiting at the gate ! And he said, 
“Whom have we here, I wonder!” 

And Janey said, “I am Mrs. Monroe, 
and this is my dear little Lulu.” 

And oh, how Josey and Joe did laugh! 

But the very next minute little Joe for- 
got the supposing play and threw his arms 
around his mother’s neck, and said, “ Oh, 
Mamma, I’m so glad you let us come to 
this little town !” 


50 



THEY WENT DOWN THE GARDEN PATH TO THE GARDEN GATE TOGETHER 




THE “SUPPOSING” DAY 


But Josey did not forget the “suppos- 
ing.” “ Why, little Joe,” she said, “ that 
isn’t Mamma ! Our Mamma could not 
be a little big girl with curls !” 

And oh, how they all did laugh to- 
gether ! 

Then Janey hugged Josey and Joe, and 
said, “ I’m glad, so glad, to see you, if I 
am Mrs. Monroe.” 

And they all went into the house and 
sat down to tea together — Mamma and 
Papa and Janey and Josey and Joe. 

And Papa said to little Joe, “Joe, my 
dear little son, in this beautiful town is a 
rushing little river, and one day, long ago, 
a man by a mill found some gold in this 
little river.” 

And Mamma said, “Yes, little Joe, in 
this little town the very Jlrst gold in Cali- 
fornia was found !” 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Janey forgot she was Mrs. Monroe 
and clapped her hands, and said, “ Oh, 
Papa, let me tell little Joe, let me tell lit- 
tle Joe !” 

And Papa said, “All right, little pre- 
cious, you may tell Josey and Joe why 
we came to this little town to stay for 
a while.” 

And our Janey’s brown eyes shone like 
little stars, and she said, “Way, way back 
in the mountains Papa has found a mine 
with gold — gold right in the ground^ little 
Joe!” 

Little Joe’s eyes grew almost as large 
as dollars, and he said, “Janey is just 
supposing, isn’t she. Mamma 

And Janey said, “No, it is true, true 
gold in the ground !” 

And Papa laughed, and said, “Yes, lit- 
tle son, Janey is not supposing now. You 

5 ^ 


THE “SUPPOSING” DAY 


shall go to my mine and see gold — real 
gold — in the ground !” 

And Janey said, “ Some day we will be 
richer than Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, 
and have a sp,lendider carriage !” 

And Josey clapped her hands and 
laughed, and said, “ Oh, Mrs. Monroe, I 
guess that you are only supposing about 
the carriage !” 

And Mamma smiled, and said, “We 
are together again, and that makes me 
happier than all the gold in all the moun- 
tains.” 


JANEY’S FIRST SCHOOL 



ND the very next morning after 


Josey and Joe came to the little 


^ town where their mother used to 
live when she was a little girl, dear Janey 
took them up the lane to little Aunt 
Ackey’s house. 

And Aunt Ackey came to the door of 
her little house to meet them. And her 
little white curls bobbed up and down in 
the breeze, and she said, “ My stars, what 
a surprise ! Is this dear Josey and Joe 
that I’ve heard so much about 

And dear Janey jumped up and down 
and laughed, and said, “Yes, little Aunt 


54 


JANEY’S FIRST SCHOOL 

Ackey, this is Josey and Joe. If you will 
teach them long division Papa will give 
you a big lump of gold !” 

And Aunt Ackey laughed, and said, 
“ My stars ! A big lump of gold ! Why, 
smiles and kisses would pay me for teach- 
ing Josey and Joe long division !” 

And Josey and Joe had school under a 
peach - tree covered with rosy - cheeked 
peaches, out in Aunt Ackey’s garden. 
Joe and Josey had two slates and pencils, 
and Aunt Ackey sat by a little table and 
taught them long division. 

And Janey sat in a little rocking-chair, 
and looked at her dear Josey and Joe, and 
thought, “How very wise my Josey is — she 
is learning long division ! How very wise 
little Joe is — he is learning long division!” 

And little Aunt Ackey looked over her 
glasses, and smiled at Janey, and said, 

55 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


“ Haven’t you ever been to school, you 
sweet little precious ?” 

And Janey said, “ No, Aunt Ackey, 
I’ve never been to truly school like this, 
but I can read and write.” 

And little Joe held up his hand, and 
said, “ Oh, please Aunt Ackey, our Janey 
is a little wonder! When she was only 
four years old Mamma taught her to read, 
so quick ! And when she was only five years 
old Papa taught her to write, so quicks 

And Josey held up her hand, and said, 
“ Please Aunt Ackey, when Janey is eight 
years old Mamma will send her to school, 
but she learns too very fast, because Janey’s 
a little wonder.” 

And little Aunt Ackey threw back her 
head and laughed and laughed, and said, 
“My stars! You are adjust spoiling that 
baby because she is sweet and pretty!” 

5 ^ 


JANEY’S FIRST SCHOOL 

And Aunt Ackey looked over her 
glasses at Janey, very cross, and said, “ I do 
not think you are a little wonder — I think 
you are just a nice little everyday child !” 

And Janey’s eyes filled with tears, and 
she ran and threw her arms around Aunt 
Ackey’s neck, and said, “ Don’t be cross, 
little Aunt Ackey dear ! I don’t want to 
be a little wonder. I just want to be a 
little girl and come to school to you under 
this lovely peach-tree !” 

And little Aunt Ackey kissed Janey, 
and said, “Well, you may come to school 
to me this very day under this very peach- 
tree, Janey.” 

And Janey hugged Aunt Ackey, and 
said, “ Oh, thank you. Aunt Ackey dear ! 
Where is my book to study 

And Aunt Ackey smiled, and said, 
“You need not have a book to-day. 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


You may study the peach-tree, Janey. I 
want you to count all the peaches on this 
tree, and tell me how many there are, and 
count all the leaves on this peach-tree, 
and tell me how many there are.” 

And Josey held up her hand, and said, 
“Oh, please. Aunt Ackey, little Janey never 
can count all the leaves on this tree !” 

And little Joe held up his hand, and 
said, “ Oh, please. Aunt Ackey, dear 
Janey never can count all these beautiful 
peaches on this tree !” 

And Aunt Ackey looked over her 
glasses at Josey and Joe very cross, and 
said, “ My stars ! That should be a very 
small lesson for your little wonder ! Sup- 
pose I had asked her to count all the peaches 
on all the trees in this garden, and all the 
leaves on all the trees in this garden 

And Janey sat down in her little chair. 



AUNT ACKEY SAID, ‘LITTLE PRECIOUS IS DREAMING!’” 







JANEY’S FIRST SCHOOL 

and looked up at the beautiful big rosy- 
cheeked peaches, and she counted and 
counted and counted and counted the 
rosy-cheeked peaches. 

And all at once Aunt Ackey looked at 
Janey, and she was sound asleep in her 
little chair ! 

And little Aunt Ackey put her finger 
to her lips, and said in a very low tone to 
Josey and Joe, “ Do not speak, little 
precious is dreaming how many peaches 
there are on the tree !” 

And after a long, long time dear Janey 
woke up, and, oh, what dp you think 
Josey and Joe were gone ! And little 
Aunt Ackey was gone ! Janey was all 
alone, all alone under the peach-tree ! 

And Janey got up, and looked all 
around the garden, but she could not 
find Josey or Joe or little Aunt Ackey! 
59 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Janey went into Aunt Ackey’s 
house, and looked and looked, and at last 
she found little Aunt Ackey in her tiny 
kitchen. 

And Aunt Ackey said, “ My stars ! 
Did you wake up at last, little precious, 
and do you know your lesson 

And Janey said, “Yes, I think I know 
my lesson. Aunt Ackey dear, but where 
are Josey and Joe 

And Aunt Ackey laughed, and said, 
“ Oh, Josey and Joe went home when 
school was out.” 

And Janey said, “Why didn’t you 
wake me up. Aunt Ackey 

And Aunt Ackey said, ‘^Oh, I thought 
you were studying your lesson in your 
sleep, little Janey. I don’t let children 
go home from my school until they know 
their lessons.’ 


6o 


JANEY’S FIRST SCHOOL 

And Janey said, “ But I know my les- 
son, Aunt Ackey dear!” 

And Aunt Ackey looked over her 
glasses with surprise, and said, “ Well, 
how many peaches are there on that 
peach-tree, and how many leaves on that 
tree ? If you really can tell me that, you 
are a little wonder !” 

And Janey smiled and said, “ I know 
what the answer is, but I don’t know how 
many. Aunt Ackey.” 

And little Aunt Ackey opened her 
eyes very wide, and said, “ Well, what is 
the answer, Janey 

And Janey put her arms around little 
Aunt Ackey’s neck, and kissed her, and 
said, “ Only just God knows how many 
leaves there are on that tree, and I’m too 
little to count the peaches because I’m not 
a little wonder !” 

6i 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Aunt Ackey drew Janey close in 
her arms, and kissed her a great many 
times, and said, “You do know your les- 
son, you lovable child ! I really declare 
you are a sweet little wonder !” 

And Janey hugged Aunt Ackey, and 
said, “ Please little Aunt Ackey, dear. I’d 
rather be just a little everyday girl and 
come to school under the peach-tree.” 

And Aunt Ackey smiled, and said, 
“Well, you shall, you shall just be an 
everyday little girl, and come to school 
under the peach-tree!” 

And after that, as long as they stayed 
in the little town, Janey went to school 
every day for two hours, with Josey and 
Joe, under the peach-tree in little Aunt 
Ackey’s garden. 


RUNAWAY JANEY 


ND one morning dear Janey said, 
A' % “ Mamma, did you ever run away 

when you were a litde girl ?” 

And Mamma laughed, and said, “ Yes, 
little precious, one naughty day I ran 
away.” 

And Janey said, “ Where did you go 
when you ran away, and what did you do, 
dear Mamma ?” 

And Mamma laughed, and said, “ Oh, 
I was very naughty. I ran away, away to 
the other end of this little town.” 

And Janey said, “ What did your 
Mamma do to you when you came home.^” 
^3 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Janey’s Mamma said, “ Oh, I was 
a very little girl, so she only hugged me 
and kissed me.” 

And Janey went out and climbed up 
and sat on the gate-post and looked down 
the street of the little, sunshiny town. 

And a big, fat robin flew down and lit 
on the other gate-post and looked at Janey. 

And Janey laughed, and said, “ I just 
believe you know what I am thinking, you 
funny, fat robin ! I just believe you do !” 

And the robin put his head on one side, 
and said, “ Cheep ! cheer ! cheep, cheep, 
cheer!” which meant, “Yes, you sweet 
little dear, I can guess what you are think- 
ing about.” 

And Janey said, “You ^y away, little 
robin, wherever you please ! Why is it 
naughty to run away .^” 

And the robin looked at Janey with his 

64 


RUNAWAY JANEY 

two bright eyes, and said, “ Cheep ! cheer! 
cheep I cheer I” which meant, “ But, my 
dear, my dear, you are a little girl!” 

And Janey said, “ I want to see every- 
thing in this little town. I want to see 
what is away, away down at the other end 
of this little street.” 

And the robin raised his little head and 
looked up at the sky. 

And Janey said, “ Oh, robin, jilease 
don’t pray that I won’t run away, be- 
cause I think — yes, I think I am going 
to do it!” 

And the sweet little robin fluttered his 
wings and flew away. 

And Janey jumped down from the gate- 
post, and away she went, hipty-hop, hipty- 
hop, down the little street. 

And Janey tossed her curls, and said, 
“I’m naughty; I know I am naughty — 
<^S 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


but I love to run away in this dear little 
town and see what I can see.” 

And just then a big, black dog ran out 
of a yard, and said, “Bow-wow! bow- 
wow!” He barked very loud at Janey. 

And Janey stopped running, and said, 
“ I’m not afraid of you, you big, black 
dog.” 

And the big, black dog came right up 
to Janey, and when he looked into her 
kind little eyes he stopped barking and 
licked her hand. 

And a little, old man looked over a gar- 
den wall and laughed, and said, “ Well, 
you are a wonder ! Every child in this 
little town is afraid of that big, black 
dog !” 

And Janey tossed her brown curls, and 
said, “ I am not afraid of anything !” 

And the little, old man laughed, and 

66 






RUNAWAY JANEY 

said, “ What, not afraid of anything on 
this terrible, big, round earth ?” 

And Janey hung her head, and said, 
“ Well, Pm just a little wee afraid of a 
garter-snake.” 

And the little, old man laughed very 
loud, “ Ha ! ha ! ha ! Well, you sweet 
little child, there are no garter -snakes in 
this dear little town.” 

And Janey ran on down the street, and 
the big, black dog followed her all the way. 

And very soon they came to a funny 
little shop with a funny sign over the door. 
Janey stopped and looked inside. 

And Janey went into the little shop, 
and there was a funny little Chinaman 
smoking a very long pipe. 

And when the funny little Chinaman 
saw Janey he took his pipe out of his 
mouth, and called, “ Hoo-hoo ! Loo- 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


loo !” And that very minute two little 
Chinese children came running into the 
little shop. 

And the funny Chinese papa pointed to 
his two little Chinese children, and said, 
“ Hoo-hoo, Loo-loo will play with you.” 

And Janey clapped her hands, and said, 
“ Oh, how funny they are ! They look 
like two live Chinese dollies !” 

Little Hoo-hoo and little Loo -loo 
looked exactly alike — as exactly alike as 
two small pins ! 

And Janey said, “What shall we play, 
you funny live dollies 

And little Loo-loo smiled, and said, 
“ Play tea-party.” 

Oh, what a funny little Chinese tea- 
party they had in that funny little Chinese 
shop ! 

Janey had never eaten so many funny 

68 


RUNAWAY JANEY 

things in all her life — tea in funny little 
green cups, and funny Chinese cakes, and 
funny Chinese candy, and funny Chinese 
nuts ! 

And oh, how Janey laughed to see little 
Hoo-hoo and little Loo-loo eating with 
their little chop-sticks ! 

And Janey laughed, and said, “ It 
is fun to run away, but what will my 
Mamma say ?” 

And Janey jumped up from the tea- 
party, and said, “ I must go home right 
now, ’cause I ran away.” 

Janey said good-bye to little Hoo- 
hoo and little Loo-loo, and ran out of the 
funny little shop. 

Just then, down the street, hipty-hop, 
hipty-hop, came dear little Joe. 

And Janey said, “Where are you 
going, Joe ?” 


69 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And little Joe said, “Oh, I am running 
away. I don’t know where I will go to- 
day. I am running away!” 

And Janey opened her eyes very 
wide, and said, “ Don’t you know it 
is very naughty to run away, little 
Joe 

And little Joe laughed, and said, The 
robin didn’t tell me not to run away, and 
I’m naughty to-day.” 

And Janey said, “ I don’t believe you 
are running away I I don’t believe you 
are ! I just believe you came after me so 
Mamma wouldn’t punish me !” 

And little Joe laughed, and said, “You 
guessed right, dear Janey. I wasn’t really 
running away; I came to find you quick 
before Mamma knew you were gone.” 

And Janey said, “ How did you know 
I ran away, little Joe.^” 

70 


RUNAWAY JANEY 

And little Joe said “ Oh, a big, fat 
robin told me !” 

And Janey laughed, and said, “ That 
robin couldn’t truly talk. How did you 
know, little Joe 

And little Joe said, “ I was hiding behind 
a tree and I heard you talk to the robin.” 

And Janey said, “I’m glad you came 
after me. I wanted to run and run all 
day, and never go back until bedtime. 
I am glad you came, little Joe !” 

And little Joe said, “Now Mamma 
won’t ever know you ran away.” 

And Janey said, “Yes, she will. I will 
tell my own dear Mamma, because I was 
very naughty.” 

And little Joe put his arm around 
his little Janey, and said, “Oh, you’re 
so good, I just believe you’re made of 
candy !” 

71 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And that night when Janey was in her 
little bed, and Mamma kissed her good- 
night, she said, “ Mamma, I ran away 
to-day, way, way down to the funny 
Chinese shop at the very end of the little 
street.” 

And Mamma said, “ Why, Janey Mon- 
roe ! Why didn’t you ask me if you 
could go 

And Janey said, “ I know it was very 
naughty. The robin said so.” 

And Mamma smiled, and asked, “What 
did the robin say, little precious .^” 

And Janey told Mamma about the little 
robin that sat on the gate-post and what 
she thought he said. 

And Mamma said, “ Oh, Janey dear, 
why didn’t you listen to the robin 

And Janey put her arms around 
Mamma’s neck, and said, “ Because I was 

72 


RUNAWAY JANEY 

naughty when that sweet little robin was 
talking to me.” 

And Mamma said, “Are you happy 
when you are naughty, Janey 

And Janey said, “ No, no 5 I have a 
wee little ache in my heart when I am 
naughty.” 

And Mamma said, “Well, go to sleep, 
little precious, and never, never run away 
again, and you never, never will have a 
wee little ache in your heart.” 


GOLDEN EGGS 

And one morning Janey said, 
“ Mamma, Olive wants Josey and 
^ Joe and me to come over and 
hunt for eggs in her big, red barn and stay 
to supper.” 

And Mamma said, “ All right, you may 
go, you lovable children.” 

And Papa looked up from his paper 
and said, “ Be sure and give my love 
to Mr. Solomon Brown and little Miss 
Flippety Flop.” 

And Janey said, “ Why, Papa, who is 
Mr. Solomon Brown and little Miss 
Flippety Flop .^” 


74 


GOLDEN EGGS 


And Papa laughed, and said, “ I prom- 
ised Olive I wouldn’t tell you about Mr. 
Solomon Brown and little Miss Flippety 
Flop.” 

And Mamma shook her finger at Papa, 
and said, “You naughty, big boy, you 
never could keep a secret !” 

And Janey hopped up and down, and 
said, “Come, Josey and Joe, let us go — let 
us go over to Olive’s house and see Mr. 
Solomon Brown and little Miss Flippety 
Flop !” 

And Janey and Josey and Joe ran out 
of the door and out of the yard and down 
through a little field to Olive’s house. 

And dear little Olive stood at her gate 
and waited for them to come. 

“ I see you !” she called. I see you, 
all of you, coming !” 

And Janey and Josey and Joe all ran 

75 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


up to Olive, and all of them said at once, 
“We want to see Mr. Solomon Brown 
and little Miss Flippety Flop !” 

And Olive looked real sorry, and said, 
“ Your Mamma and Papa promised not 
to tell you about Mr. Solomon Brown 
and Miss Flippety Flop!” 

And Janey said, “ My naughty, funny 
Papa forgot, but we don’t know who 
Mr. Solomon Brown is, and we can’t 
guess who Miss Flippety Flop is, either.” 

And Olive clapped her hands, and 
said, “ Come on to the big, red barn and 
see Mr. Solomon Brown and dear Miss 
Flippety Flop.” 

And Janey and Josey and Joe and 
Olive all ran out to the big, red barn. 
Oh, such a splendid red barn for children 
to play in ! 

And Olive opened a very large box, 

76 



“ OUT STEPPED A BIG, YELLOW ROOSTER, AND OUT STEPPED A BIG 

YELLOW hen!” 




1 



GOLDEN EGGS 


and out stepped a big, yellow rooster, and 
out stepped a big, yellow hen ! 

And Olive said, “ Here is Mr. Solomon 
Brown and little Miss Flippety Flop.” 

And Janey and Josey and Joe all hop- 
ped up and down and clapped their hands, 
and said, “ Oh, oh, we never guessed it 
would be a big, yellow hen and a big, yel- 
low rooster.” 

And Olive opened her eyes very wide 
and pointed to the yellow hen, and said, 
“ Miss Flippety Flop lays golden eggs.” 

And Janey opened her eyes very wide 
and said, “ Oh, Olive, does she truly lay 
golden eggs 

And Olive said, “Yes, truly, bluelyj my 
Papa said she did.” 

And little Joe giggled, and said, “ I 
don’t believe it. I don’t believe that hen 
lays golden eggs.” 


77 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Olive said, “ Yes, she does, too ! 
Wait till you find a golden egg, and then 
you’ll believe, I guess !” 

And Janey clapped her hands, and said, 
“ I believe — I believe she does. Let us 
all hunt and see if we can find her golden 
eggs.” 

And little Joe giggled, and said, “ I 
don’t believe it. I don’t believe that old 
hen lays golden eggs.” 

And Olive said, “ If we find a golden 
egg, then will you believe, little Joe 

And little Joe said, “You won’t find 
one golden egg in this red barn — not one.” 

And Janey hopped up and down, and 
said, “ Let us hunt for golden eggs ! Lit- 
tle Joe will believe, I know, when he sees 
one.” 

And Janey and Josey and Olive ran 
about all over the big, red barn and 
78 


GOLDEN EGGS 


hunted for golden eggs. Little Joe stood 
in the barn door and giggled.” 

And all at once Janey called, “ Oh, I’ve 
found a golden egg ! I’ve truly, bluely 
found a golden egg !” 

And little Joe turned around, and there 
stood his dear Janey, and in her hand was 
a golden egg ! 

And all at once Josey called, “Oh, I’ve 
found a golden egg !” 

And little Joe looked, and there stood 
Josey with a big, golden egg ! 

And all at once Olive called, “ Oh, oh. 
I’ve found a golden egg !” 

And little Joe looked, and there stood 
Olive with a big, golden egg in her hand ! 

And Janey said, Now will you believe, 
little Joe 

And little Joe opened his eyes very 
wide, and said, “Yes, I truly believe 
79 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 

now that Miss Flippety Flop lays golden 
eggs.” 

And little Joe ran about, and very soon 
he found a golden egg up in the hay-mow. 

And then, oh, then, what fun they had 
running and hunting for golden eggs all 
over the big, red barn ! 

Janey found five golden eggs, and Josey 
found three, and Olive found four. Little 
Joe found only two. 

And Janey said, “ I’ll give you one of 
mine, poor little Joe. You only found 
two because you wouldn’t believe.” 

And just then Olive’s Papa came out 
to the barn, and he laughed, “ Ha, ha ! 
Hurrah for Miss Flippety Flop and her 
golden eggs !” 

And Janey said, “ Little Joe wouldn’t 
believe she lays golden eggs, and he only 
found two.” 


8o 


GOLDEN EGGS 


And Olive’s Papa laughed, “ Ha, ha ! 
Hurrah ! Now we will go in and boil the 
golden eggs for our supper.” 

And Janey opened her eyes very wide, 
and said, “Why, you can’t boil golden 
eggs, can you 

And Olive’s Papa said, “Well, yes. 
Miss Flippety Flop lays golden eggs that 
you can eat — such a clever young hen is 
she !” 

And Janey dropped down on the floor 
of the big, red barn and began to cry, 
“ It is all pretend !” she said, “ They are 
not truly ^ bluely golden eggs at all ! It is 
only pretend !” 

And Olive dropped down on the floor 
of the big, red barn and began to cry, 
too, “ I thought they were golden eggs, 
truly I did, dear Janey!” 

And Olive’s Papa laughed, “ Ha, ha, 

8i 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


ha ! Why, you little goosies, I thought 
you would guess it was only pretend! I 
thought you would like to pretend !” 

And little Joe giggled, and said, “ I 
knew it was just pretend. I knew it all 
the time.” 

Josey looked real sorry and did not say 
a word. 

And Janey looked up, and said, “Didn’t 
Miss Flippety Flop ever lay even one 
golden egg.^” 

And Olive’s Papa laugned, and said, 
“ No, Janey, dear, but Miss Flippety Flop 
is a wonderful hen. Just think, she lays 
beautiful, white eggs, out of which little, 
yellow chickens will run some day !” 

And Olive said, “ But, Papa, they look 
like golden eggs!” 

And Olive’s Papa said, “To be sure 
they do. Mamma painted them so they 
82 


GOLDEN EGGS 


look exactly like golden eggs, but it is only 
pretend, little daughter.” 

And they all went into the house, and 
Olive’s Mamma boiled the golden eggs for 
their supper. 

And Olive looked sorry, and said, “ I 
don’t believe I like pretend plays very 
well.” 

And Janey said, “ I like pretend plays 
when I know it is just pretend.” 

And Josey said, “ I think it was fun. 
I would like to play hunt for golden eggs 
in the big, red barn every day.” 

And little Joe giggled, and said, “ Miss 
Hippity Hop lays golden eggs ! Miss 
Flippety Flop lays golden eggs ! I knew 
it was just pretend all the time !” 

Do you believe little Joe knew it was 
pretend all the time, my dear little reader } 

83 


THE JANEY-BOY STORY 


A ND one morning Janey said, 
“ Mamma, I wish I was a boy 
^ and could go on a journey and 
have adventures.” 

And Mammi laughed, and said, “ Do 
you know what adventures are, little pre- 
cious 

And Janey said, “ Yes ; it tells about a 
boy in little Joe’s book who went on a 
journey, and oh, so many things hap- 
pened to him, and those were advent- 
ures.” 

And Mamma laughed, and said, “Well, 
if you were a boy, my Janey, you could 
84 


THE JANEY-BOY STORY 

go on a journey and have adventures, but 
little girls seven years old must stay at 
home with their mothers.” 

And Janey went out and sat on the 
gate-post, and wished that she were a boy 
and could go on a journey and have ad- 
ventures. 

And just then an old white horse, oh, a 
very old horse, came walking by, and 
stopped at the gate and looked at Janey. 

And Janey said, “ Old white horse, if 
I were only a boy I’d ride away, away 
down the road and have some advent- 
ures.” 

And all at once Janey jumped down 
from the gate-post, and said, “ I know 5 
I’ll play I’m a boy. I’ll play I’m that 
boy in little Joe’s book, and I’ll ride away 
on the old white horse and have some ad- 
ventures.” 


8s 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Janey ran in and up-stairs to little 
Joe’s room. 

(Josey and Joe were over at little Aunt 
Ackey’s house learning long division.) 

And what do you think dear Janey 
did ? She took off her dress, and put on 
some of little Joe’s clothes, and tucked up 
her pretty curls under one of little Joe’s 
caps ! 

And no one saw little Janey-boy as she 
ran down the stairs. And no one saw 
little Janey as she got on the old white 
horse and rode away, away down the road. 

Every one was busy in the little town 
just at that hour, so Janey rode away 
down the river road all by herself on the 
old white horse ! 

All at once she came to the house with 
the cherry lane. Janey had never seen a 
cherry lane before. She forgot that she 
86 


THE JANEY-BOY STORY 

was playing she was a little boy. She was 
Janey Monroe, and this was the cherry 
lane Mamma had told her about playing 
in when she was a little girl ! 

Two long, long rows of trees, and every 
tree hanging full of big, ripe, red, juicy 
cherries ! 

And Janey clapped her hands, and said, 
“ Oh, isn’t it pretty ! Oh, isn’t the cherry 
lane pretty ! I wonder who lives in the 
little red house at the other end of the 
cherry lane !” 

And Janey slipped off of the old white 
horse, and said, “You must nibble the 
grass and wait for me, old white horse — I 
want to run up the cherry lane to the little 
red house.” 

And the old white horse nibbled the 
grass and waited, and Janey ran up the 
beautiful cherry lane. 

87 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And all at once a very large, handsome 
blue-jay, who was stealing some cherries, 
flew down on a bough just over Janey’s 
head, and said, “Cheer! Cheer!” in a 
very shrill voice. 

And Janey said, “ Oh, you handsome, 
big blue-jay, what do you want.^ You 
sound as though you were scolding!” 

The blue -jay was scolding. He was 
saying, “ Run away, run away ! Cherry 
lane belongs to me and my wicked 
brothers !” 

And just then twelve handsome, fat 
blue-jays flew down and lit on the fence 
quite near to Janey. And they all said, 
“Cheer! Cheer!” in very shrill tones. 
All those twelve blue -jays scolded and 
talked to Janey! 

And Janey put her hands in her pockets 
just like a boy, and looked very brave, and 
88 





tfl t| |l I 


















“all at once a blue-jay flew down, and said, ‘cheer! cheer!’” 






THE JANEY-BOY STORY 

said, “I guess this is an adventure ! You 
think I’m afraid, you big, fat blue -jays, 
but I’m not !” 

And the blue-jays flew all about Janey’s 
head, and chattered and scolded louder 
than ever ! 

And Janey said, “I’m not afraid. You 
are rascals and thieves, if you are so hand- 
some. You came to steal cherries.” 

And when Janey said this, looking so 
brave and fearless, those blue-jays flew up, 
up and away. 

And Janey went on up cherry lane to 
the little red house, and knocked at the 
door. And very soon a pretty lady came, 
and when she saw Janey she said, “ Why, 
you beautiful child ! Where did you come 
from, you sweet little boy 

And Janey smiled and looked down, 
and said, “ I came from the little town 
89 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


on an old white horse. Have you any 
children for me to play with 

And the pretty lady laughed, and said, 
“Yes, I have a little girl just your size. 
Come right in and see her.” 

And Janey went into the little red 
house, and the pretty lady called, “ Lucy, 
oh, Lucy !” 

And the next minute a little girl came 
dancing into the room. 

And the pretty lady said, “ Lucy, this 
dear little boy rode out from town on an 
old white horse, to play with you.” 

And Lucy laughed. Oh, how she 
laughed ! 

And her Mamma said, “Why, Lucy, 
I am surprised ! Why are you laughing, 
my dear .^” 

And Lucy pointed her finger at Janey, 
and said, “ That isn’t a little boy ! That 
90 


THE JANEY-BOY STORY 

is Janey Monroe ! Pve seen her lots of 
times. 

And Janey smiled her sweet little smile, 
and said, “ Pm playing I am the boy in 
little Joe’s book, and Pm going to ride 
around the world on my old white horse, 
and have adventures.” 

And Lucy’s Mamma laughed. You 
little goosie, you don’t know what an ad- 
venture is !” 

And Lucy said, “ Let us go out and 
climb a cherry-tree, and eat all the cher- 
ries we can, Janey.” 

And Janey smiled, and said, “Thank 
you, I hoped you would ask me.” 

And Janey and Lucy ran down into 
cherry lane, and climbed a tree full of red, 
ripe cherries. Oh, oh, what a good time 
they had eating the cherries and talking ! 

But all at once a big black dog came 

91 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


bounding around the little red house and 
down into cherry lane. And Lucy said, 
“Old Towkins has got loose!” 

And Janey said, “Why, you’re not 
afraid of your own dog, are you 

And Lucy said, “Yes, I am. The other 
day he ran after a boy and bit him ! He 
is a terrible, terrible watch-dog!” 

And old Towkins jumped around the 
cherry-tree, and barked very loud and 
looked very fierce ! 

And Janey said, “ I guess this is an 
adventure. I’m not going to be afraid. 
I’m going to climb down and make him 
be good and stop barking.” 

And Lucy said, “ Oh, please, please 
don’t get down out of the tree, Janey — 
he’s a terrible dog !” 

But Janey said, “ I’m not afraid. I’m 
going to get down and make him be still.” 

92 


THE JANEY-BOY STORY 

And Lucy said, “ I’ll send you a bushel 
of cherries for Josey and Joe if you won’t get 
down ! Mamma will come in a minute.” 

But Janey said, “ I’m not afraid, and 
I’m going to climb down.” Janey really 
was a little wonder that day. She climbed 
right down out of that cherry-tree ! 

And old Towkins was terribly excited 
and angry. He jumped around Janey, 
and barked very loud, and showed every 
one of his teeth ! 

And Janey said, “ Dear, good doggie !” 
Then she put her hands in her pockets 
and looked right into Towkins’s eyes, and 
said, “ I’m not one bit afraid of you, old 
Towkins !” 

And oh, how surprised little Lucy was ! 
Old Towkins stopped barking and wagged 
his tail, and ran up to Janey and licked 
her hand ! 


93 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Lucy clapped her hands, and said, 
“Oh, oh, old Towkins had to give up! 
Oh, oh. I’ll send you a bushel of red, ripe 
cherries to give to Josey and Joe !” 

And Janey patted old Towkins’s head, 
and said, “ I guess I must go home now. 
My Mamma will miss me, but don’t for- 
get the bushel of cherries.” 

And Janey and Lucy and Towkins ran 
down cherry lane to the gate, and there — 
yes, there was the old white horse nibbling 
the sweet, short grass and waiting for 
Janey. 

And when Janey got home she found 
Josey and Joe and Mamma and Papa 
eating their dinner. And when Janey 
walked into the room in little Joe’s clothes, 
oh, how they laughed ! 

And Mamma said, “ Where have you 
been, little precious 

94 


THE JANEY-BOY STORY 

And Janey sat in her high chair at the 
dinner-table and told her adventures. And 
oh, how Josey and Joe clapped their hands! 

AndJ oe said, IsnH our Janey a little 
wonder.^ She finds such beautiful places 
to play, and she isn’t afraid of anything !” 


PLAYING FAIRIES 

O NE morning dear Janey came run- 
ning into the sitting-room with her 
little pink sunbonnet on her head, 
and said, “ Oh, Josey, oh, Joe, I’ve found 
such a beautiful, beautiful place to play !” 

And Josey and Joe jumped up and put 
down their books, and said, “Where is 
the beautiful place to play ?” 

And darling Mamma said, “I know the 
place you have found, Janey. I used to 
play there when I was a little girl.” 

And Janey said, “Why, Mamma, why 
didn’t you tell us about it before ? It is 
the heautifulest place I ever saw !” 

96 


PLAYING FAIRIES 


And Mamma said, “ I knew you would 
find it some day, dear Janey, and I knew 
how surprised and pleased you would be.” 

And Janey pushed her little pink sun- 
bonnet back from her face, and said, 
“Come on, Josey, come on, little Joe — 
you don’t know what a splendid time we 
will have !” 

And Josey and Joe followed Janey 
down the little lane past Aunt Ackey’s 
house, into a little wood. 

And Janey said, “Stop and listen! 
What do you hear, Josey and Joe 

And Josey and Joe stood very still for a 
moment and listened. And Josey said, “ I 
hear water falling over there in the woods !” 

And Janey laughed, and said, “Yes, 
that is what it is. Come, let us run !” 

They ran very fast, and all at once 
they came to a beautiful waterfall tum- 
97 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


bling down over very high rocks, and the 
rocks were covered with mosses and ferns. 

And Josey clapped her hands, and said, 
“ Oh, Janey, it is the most beautiful place 
I ever saw !” 

And little Joe whispered, “Water hasn’t 
a voice ! I hear a voice singing right up 
there in the water !” 

And Josey said, “ I believe the fairies 
are singing in the water!” 

And Janey said, “ I always knew there 
were fairies, and now we have heard them 
singing !” 

And Janey and Josey and Joe all stood 
very still and listened. 

And Josey clapped her hands, and said, 
“Yes, it is a fairy! oh, I know it’s a 
fairy !” 

And Janey said, “ Oh, I wish I could 
see it ! Let us keep still and perhaps it 
98 


PLAYING FAIRIES 


will dance right out of the waterfall and 
talk to us !” 

And Janey and Josey and Joe kept very 
still and waited, and the fairy kept on sing- 
ing her sweet little song ! 

And Josey whispered, “We know that 
song the fairy is singing. Let us sing it, 
too, and see what the fairy will do.” 

And Janey and Josey and Joe all began 
singing, very low, this dear little song that 
all children know : 

“ ‘ Give,’ said the little stream, 

‘ Give, oh give, give, oh give. 

Give,’ said the little stream. 

As it hurried down the hill. 

‘ I am small, I know. 

But wherever I go — 

Give, oh give, give, oh give — 

I am small, I know. 

But wherever I go. 

The fields grow greener still.’” 

99 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And all at once a sweet little voice from 
away up on the rock by the waterfall called, 
“ Hi ! oh, I see you, Janey and Josey and 
Joe — I see you, and hear you singing !” 

And Janey and Josey and Joe all looked 
up at once, and there was a little girl in a 
little white dress and with sunshine in her 
hair. 

And Josey clapped her hands, and said, 
“ Oh, Olive, how did you get away, away 
up there on that rock ? I want to come 
up, too !” 

But poor little Janey dropped down 
on the ground, and began to cry, “I 
thought it was a fairy! Oh dear, I thought 
sure it was a fairy !” 

And Joe said, “ We’ll pretend Olive is 
a fairy. We’ll pretend that she has wings 
and can fly. Don’t cry, Janey dear, please 
don’t cry I” 


loo 








PLAYING FAIRIES 


And Josey laughed, and called, “Janey 
is crying because she thought you were a 
truly fairy, Olive !” 

And Janey looked up and called, “Josey 
thought you were a fairy, too, and so did 
little Joe !” 

And Olive clapped her hands and 
laughed, and said, “ Oh, I wish I were 
a truly fairy. But I know what we can 
do : we can play fairies ! It will be such 
fun out here in these beautiful woods.” 

And Josey said, “ How shall we play it, 
Olive 

And Olive said, “You all lie down and 
pretend to go to sleep, and I will come and 
steal little Janey away and hide her, and 
you will both have to look and look a 
long time before you can find her !” 

And little Joe said, “ Oh, that will be 
fun ! Come, Janey, we’ll all go to sleep 

lOI 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 

in these beautiful woods where the fairies 
live.” 

And Josey said, “I hope a fairy will not 
come and steal our precious Janey away!” 

And Janey and Josey and Joe all lay 
down on a bed of moss and pretended to 
go to sleep. 

And down the steep path, through the 
flowers, came a sweet little fairy girl. And 
the fairy whispered to Janey, “I love you, 
little Janey, and I want you to come and 
live with me up by the waterfall.” 

And Janey opened her brown eyes, and 
whispered, “ Oh, I can’t go away from my 
Josey and Joe, you dear, beautiful little 
fairy !” 

And the fairy said, “ Oh, yes, come 
with me, and be glad, glad, glad like a 
fairy !” 

And Janey got up and put her hand in 


102 


PLAYING FAIRIES 


Olive’s, and said, “ I will go with you, 
little fairy.” 

And Olive led Janey up, up the steep 
path through the flowers, to a hig, big 
rock by the waterfall. And Olive hid 
Janey behind the rock. 

And all at once little Joe woke up and 
screamed, “ Oh, Josey, Janey is gone ! 
Our dear little Janey is gone ! Oh, Josie, 
wake up !” 

And Josey woke up, and screamed, “It’s 
the fairies have stolen our Janey!” 

And Josey and Joe looked and looked 
all around through the woods, and kept 
calling, “Janey, precious Janey, where did 
the fairies hide you 

And after a long, long while, Josey and 
Joe climbed the steep path, and there they 
found Janey with the fairy behind the high 
rock. 


103 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And then Janey said, “ Now I’ll play 
the fairy, and sing. You must all listen 
and wish you could see me !” 

Josey and Joe and Olive went down the 
path, and Janey stayed behind the rock 
and sang the sweet little song of the little 
stream. 

And Olive said, “ Oh, listen, I hear a 
fairy singing up there in the waterfall, 
Josey!” 

And Josey said, “Oh, I wish I could see 
her^ I always have wanted to see a fairy!” 

And Janey walked out from behind the 
rock and stood in the sunshine and smiled. 

And little Joe clapped his hands, and 
said, “ Oh, see the fairy by the waterfall 
in the sunshine !” 

And Olive said, “ Oh, isn’t she pretty ! 
Oh, isn’t she a beautiful fairy!” 

And Janey went behind the rock, and 
104 


PLAYING FAIRIES 


called, “ Now you must all three go to 
sleep, and I will come and steal Josey and 
hide her away.” 

And Olive and Josey and Joe laid down 
on the bed of moss and pretended to go 
to sleep. 

And Janey came down the steep path 
through the flowers, and led dear Josey 
away. 

And Olive and little Joe looked and 
looked till they found her. 

And this is the way, all that beautiful 
day, they played fairies down in the woods 
by the waterfall. 


THE LITTLE AUTOMOBILE 

A ND one morning about a month 
after Josey and Joe came to the 
little town in the mountains, Janey 
got a letter from Aunt Susan Mehetible, 
dear. This was the letter : 

“My Own Dear Janey : — How long, 
how very long, you have been away! 
Oh, when you were here, quite near in 
your beautiful home, little precious, I could 
drive over to see you every day in my 
splendid carriage ; but now the days 
go by and the days go by, and I never 
see my Janey! Janey, dear, if you will 
io6 


THE LITTLE AUTOMOBILE 


only come and stay a week with me you 
shall have the very best time. Oh, if 
you will only, only come. I’ll give you 
a little automobile ! I really will, dear 
Janey. 

“Your loving, too loving 
“Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear.” 

And when Janey’s Mamma read this 
letter to Janey, she smiled, and said, 
“ Poor Aunt Susan Mehetible must be 
very lonely to promise you an automobile 
if you will only come and see her !” 

And Janey looked very sad, and said, 
“ I wish Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, would 
come here and stay with us in this nice lit- 
tle town until we go home. She loves me 
so special. Mamma.” 

And Mamma smiled at her sweet little 
Janey, and said, “Yes, Aunt Susan Me- 
107 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


hetible does love you so special, and I 
wish she would come here and stay until 
we go home.” 

Just then the door opened, and Papa 
came into the room j and he caught 
Janey up in his arms, and tossed her up 
to his shoulder. “ Hurrah ! hurrah !” he 
said 5 “ a new vein of gold in my mine, 
little precious ! Your father is a very rich 
man, my Janey !” 

And Mamma said, “ Oh, splendid ! 
oh, grand ! Are you very sure, dear 
Papa 

And Papa said, “Yes, as sure as I am 
that I love this dear little girl on my 
shoulder !” 

And Janey clapped her hands, and said, 
“ Oh, goody ! oh, goody gander ! Now 
I can have my wonderful play-house, can’t 
I, dear Papa.^” 

io8 


THE LITTLE AUTOMOBILE 

And Papa said, “ Yes, you shall have 
a wonderful play-house built as soon as 
we go home.” 

And Janey said, “Oh, Papa, I got a 
letter from Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear. 
She says she will give me a little automo- 
bile if I’ll only come and see her.” 

And Papa laughed, and said, “Well, 
well ! Poor Aunt Susan ! How she must 
miss you, Janey!” 

And Janey said, “Yes, she does. She 
loves me so special; and I love her, too. 
Papa.” ‘ 

And Papa said, “I know you do, but 
I cannot let you go to her alone on the 
cars, my Janey.” 

And Janey said, “ I want Aunt Susan 
Mehetible, dear, to come here and see this 
little house, and this nice little town, and 
the little river, and the waterfall in the 
109 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 

woods, and little Aunt Ackey and Olive — 
I want Aunt Susan Mehetible to come 
here and see me, Papa !” 

And Papa hugged *Janey, and said, 
“ Well, send her a telegram, and tell her 
you will give her a piece of gold right out 
of your Papa’s mine that will make her at 
least fifty dollars !” 

And Janey hugged her father, and said, 
“ Oh, will you really give me a fifty-dollar 
gold -piece to give Aunt Susan — truly ^ 
Papa ?” 

And Papa said, “ Yes, truly I will, my 
Janey. Aunt Susan Mehetible has given 
you many, many beautiful gifts, and now 
you shall give her a nice little present.” 

And Janey kissed her father, and said, 
“ Oh, Papa, are you richer than Aunt 
Susan Mehetible, truly 

And Papa laughed, and said, “Well, 
no 


THE LITTLE AUTOMOBILE 


no ; I am not quite as rich as Aunt Susan 
Mehetible yet, my dear little Janey girl.” 

And Janey said, “ Could you buy me a 
little automobile. Papa V 

And Papa laughed, and said, “ Well, 
no 5 I think a little girl that has a pony 
doesn’t need an automobile this year.” 

And Janey said, “ I want to go to my 
own beautiful home and see my dear little 
pony.” 

And Papa said, “We’ll all go home in 
a few weeks now. And here we go, trot, 
trot, to send Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, 
a telegram !” 

And Janey rode on her father’s shoulder 
down through the garden, and out of the 
gate, and down the street of the little town 
— she rode on her father’s shoulder all the 
way to the telegraph office ! 

And Janey wrote a telegram to Aunt 

III 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


Susan Mehetible, dear, and this is what she 
said in the telegram : 

“ Come and see me quick. I’ll give you fifty 
dollars. Janey.” 


And that very night, just after she 
crawled into bed, Janey got a telegram 
from Aunt Susan Mehetible, and this is 
what it said : 

« I am coming, precious Janey. I’ll give you 
the automobile. Aunt Susan Mehetible.” 

And, oh, how little Joe clapped his hands 
when he heard that telegram read ! “ I’ll 

run the little automobile for you, Janey,” 
he said. “ Oh, isn’t Aunt Susan Meheti- 
ble 

And Papa laughed, and said, •“ Poor 
Aunt Susan is so very rich she doesn’t 


I 12 


THE LITTLE AUTOMOBILE 


know what to do with her money. I am 
afraid she’ll spoil our good little Janey — 
she gives her so many things.” 

And little Joe said, “Janey will call the 
little automobile part mine, I know, be- 
cause I am a boy, and a boy should have 
an automobile.” 

And Janey sat up in bed and looked at 
Joe with her sweet little smile, and said, 
“You can call it a// yours for a week, dear 
little Joe, ’cause I’m afraid of an auto- 
mobile.” 

And Joe hugged Janey, and said, “Oh, 
thank you, Janey; I’ll take you and Josey 
all over the world in my little auto- 
mobile.” 

And Mamma smiled, and said, “Well, 
scamper away to bed, Josey and Joe; 
Aunt Susan will be here to-morrow.” 

And the next day, when it was almost 

”3 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


night, Janey and Josey and Joe all went 
to the station with their Papa to meet 
Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear. 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible caught 
Janey into her arms and kissed her a 
great many times. 

And Janey said, “We love each other, 
that’s why we are so very glad — isn’t it. 
Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear.?” 

And Aunt Susan said, “Yes, my pre- 
cious, and we love Josey and Joe very 
dearly, too.” 

And Janey said, “ Did you bring the 
automobile with you. Aunt Susan Me- 
hetible, dear.?” 

And little Joe laughed, and said, “Why, 
Janey, Aunt Susan couldn’t bring an auto- 
mobile with her — it’s as large as a little 
wagon.” 

And Aunt Susan looked at little Joe, 









a ^' i < - n 'i' » ^>t^ 






i?v , f t m'M ft m't unvut f ^ ' 


> ) 


LITTLE JOE PLAYED WITH THE LITTLE AUTOMOBILE ALL THE NEXT DAY 
















THE LITTLE AUTOMOBILE 

and then at Janey, and then she said, 
“ Oh, dear me, I forgot to tell you that it 
is only a very, very little automobile, just 
big enough for your dollies ! Yes, Janey, 
I brought it with me.” 

And Janey looked at little Joe and saw 
big tears in his eyes, and she ran and 
threw her arms around his neck, and said, 
“ Don’t cry, little Joe, perhaps some day 
you can have a big automobile and take 
me riding.” 

And Aunt Susan laughed, and said, 
“Yes; goodness me! if children have every- 
thing when they are little, what will they 
have when they are big.^” 

But when little Joe saw the cunning lit- 
tle automobile Aunt Susan brought for 
Janey, he forgot to cry. 

It was just like a truly automobile, 
though only large enough for the dollies. 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Janey let little Joe play with the 
little automobile all the next day, and call 
it all his for a week. 

And Janey gave Aunt Susan Mehetible, 
dear, a little piece of gold out of her fa- 
ther’s mine, right out the ground. And 
Aunt Susan had it made into a fifty-dollar 
-piece. 



JAMEY BOY 

Almost every day Janey went over 
/ % to little Aunt Ackey’s house to 
play, while Josey and Joe were 
having their lessons. 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, said, 
“Janey, darling, why do you go over to 
little Aunt Ackey’s house so often 

And Janey said, “Oh, I go to play 
with my little brook, and I go to play 
with my little Jamey.” 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, said, 
“ May I go with you, Janey, and see your 
little brook and your little Jamey 

And Janey looked shy, and said, “Well, 
117 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


you see, Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, you 
are so very rich, and so splendid, my Jamey 
will be afraid of you.” 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, 
laughed, and said, “ Oh, I’ll wear my 
white sunbonnet, Janey, love, and then 
I shall not look so rich and so splen- 
did.” 

And Aunt Susan put on her white sun- 
bonnet, and then she said, “ Now, I am 
ready, Janey.” 

But Janey said, “ Oh, Aunt Susan 
Mehetible, dear, you are so tall and so 
beautiful, and Jamey is so wee and little, 
he will be afraid of you !” 

And Aunt Susan laughed and laughed, 
and said, “Janey, you dear little goosie, 
you are not afraid of me, and I am sure 
your Jamey will not be. Come let us go, 
little precious.” 


ii8 


JAMEY BOY 

And Janey put her hand in Aunt 
Susan’s, and said, “ Sometimes I am just 
a little teenty-tonty bit afraid of you, when 
you have on your pink silk dress and look 
more splendider still.” 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, 
laughed and laughed, and said, “ Oh, 
Janey, dear, you have the best little heart 
in the world, and that is worth more than 
splendid dresses.” 

And Janey and Aunt Susan Mehetible, 
dear, went down the green lane to little 
Aunt Ackey’s house. 

And there sat Josey and Joe .under the 
peach-trees working their long division on 
their black little slates. And there sat 
little Aunt Ackey with her little white 
curls, and her sweetest smile, and her 
knitting work. 

And Janey called, “ Oh, Aunt Ackey, 
119 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 

here is Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear ; come 
and see how pretty she is !” 

And little Aunt Ackey laughed, and 
went to the gate to speak to Aunt Susan 
Mehetible, dear. And little Aunt Ackey 
said, “ I am so glad to see you. Janey 
has talked so often about you, and so has 
Josey and Joe.” 

And Janey said, “We didn’t come 
to visit school. Aunt Ackey. We came 
to play with my brook and my Jamey.” 

And Aunt Ackey said, “ Well, run on 
to your brook, you darling.” 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, fol- 
lowed Janey down through the peach-trees 
to a little green field, and there was a dear 
little brook dancing along over the pebbles 
and the sand. 

And Janey called, “Jamey, where are 
you, Jamey .^” 


120 


JAMEY BOY 

But no Jamey answered her. 

And Janey whispered, “ See, Aunt 
Susan Mehetible, dear, he is hiding over 
there in the tall grass, because he’s 
afraid of you ! He’s only three years 
old.” 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, 
laughed, and called, “Come, little Jamey, 
I’ll not hurt you ! Come and play !” 

And a very ragged, dirty, wee little 
boy crept out of the grass and came 
down to the brook, hanging his little 
head. 

And Aunt Susan held out her hand, 
and said, “ Oh, you poor^ dear little boy ! 
Whose boy are you 

And Janey said, “ He hasn’t any Papa, 
and he hasn’t any Mamma. He lives 
with a terrible, cross old man !” 

Poor little Jamey began to cry. He 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


cried very loud, and puckered his wee 
little face. 

And Janey put her arms around him, 
and kissed his dirty little face, and said, 
“ Don’t cry, Jamey, I’ll be your little 
mother, I will ! Don’t cry, dear little 
Jamey !” 

And Jamey stopped crying, and looked 
up and smiled. 

And Janey said, “ I’ll wash your hands 
and face in our little brook, and then Aunt 
Susan will say, ‘ Oh, what a pretty, sweet 
little boy!”’ 

And when Janey had washed Jamey’s 
little face and hands in the brook. Aunt 
Susan Mehetible, dear, did say, “ Oh, what 
a pretty, sweet little boy !” 

And Janey and Jamey had big, flat chips 
for boats, and they sailed their boats on 
the little brook, and Aunt Susan Meheti- 


122 



JANEY AND JAMEY SAILED THEIR BOATS ON THE LITTLE BROOK 




JAMEY BOY 

ble, dear, sat in the grass and watched 
them. Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, was 
thinking. 

And all at once she called, “Janey, 
come here; Jamey, come here j I want to 
tell you a story !” 

And Janey and Jamey went and sat in 
the grass by Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, 
and she told them this little story : 

“ Once upon a time there was a mother 
who had a wee little boy like Jamey, and 
what do you think his dear little name 
was — Jamey, too! And Jamey had a 
dear Papa — oh, a dear, kind, handsome 
Papa. And Jamey loved his Papa and 
his Mamma very dearly. But one day 
Jamey went away, and then his dear Papa 
went away, too — they went away to a beau- 
tiful, beautiful country, and left Mamma 
alone in their splendid home.” 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Janey jumped up and threw her 
arms around Aunt Susan Mehetible’s neck, 
and said, “ Oh, Aunt Susan Mehetible, 
dear, you were the Mamma, and that 
Jamey was your very own little boy! 
He went away to a beautiful, beautiful 
country.” 

And wee little Jamey crept up, and put 
his soft little cheek on Aunt Susan Me- 
hetible’s hand, and said, “ I love you, 
I do.” 

And Janey said, “ Oh, isnH he sweet. 
Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear ! He isn’t a 
bit afraid !” 

And our Janey looked at Aunt Susan 
Mehetible, dear, and Jamey, and smiled, 
and then she began to clap her hands. 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, said, 
“ Why do you smile and clap your hands, 
little precious 


124 


JAMEY BOY 

“ Oh, Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, you 
are going to take my Jamey to your 
splendid home, and you are going to play 
he is your own little Jamey come home 
again !” said Janey. 

And Aunt Susan Mehetihle, dear, smiled, 
and said, “ Oh, Jamey will be afraid of 
me. I am so rich and splendid !” 

And Janey said, “ He isn’t one bit 
afraid. Oh, isriH he little and cunning 
And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, said, 
“ Jamey, would you like to go home with 
me and be my own little boy 

And Jamey put his warm little cheek on 
Aunt Susan Mehetible’s hand, and said, 
“ Will Janey go, too 

And Janey clapped her hands, and said, 
“Yes, I’ll go, too!” 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, 
hugged Jamey close, and said, “Yes, you 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


shall come with me, little Jamey boy. I’ll 
buy you some pretty clothes, and you 
shall be my own little baby.” 

And Janey ran as fast as she could up 
to the peach-trees, where Josey and Joe 
were working long division with little Aunt 
Ackey. And she clapped her hands, and 
cried, “Oh, you never can guess what Aunt 
Susan Mehetible, dear, is going to do !” 

And little Aunt Ackey said, “ What is 
she going to do 

And Janey said, “ She is going to take 
little Jamey to her splendid home, and 
have him for her own little baby !” 

And little Aunt Ackey stood up and 
bobbed her curls, and clapped her hands, 
and said, Oh, what good news !” 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, came 
up between the peach-trees, leading wee 
little ragged Jamey. 

126 


JAMEY BOY 

And Josey clapped her hands, and said, 
“ Oh, Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, we 
are so glad, we are so glad !” 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible smiled, and 
said, “Yes, Janey found this wee little 
boy in the meadow. He hasn’t any 
Mamma or Papa, so he is going to live 
with me.” 

And little Aunt Ackey said, “ Oh, what 
good news ! Oh, what grand news !” 


GOOD-BYE, LITTLE TOWN ! 



ND one beautiful night, when the 


moon was shining bright, Janey 


jumped out of bed and ran to the 
window, and looked out at the dear little 
town where her mother had lived when she 
was a little girl. 

“ Good-bye, little town,” she said. “I 
love you so dearly and I am glad I came 
to stay here ; but oh, I am gladder than 
glad because I am going home to my own 
dear, beautiful home !” 

And just then a bird on the big locust- 
tree quite near Janey’s window sang, 
“Whip-poor-will ! Whip-poor-will !” 


128 


GOOD-BYE, LITTLE TOWN! 

And Janey said, “ How clear that bird 
sang ! And how near he is to my win- 
dow !” 

And Janey leaned out of the window, 
and there she saw a very large white bird 
in the locust-tree. Janey thought it was a 
bird for just one second, and then she 
said, “ Oh, Olive, I see you there in your 
nightie ! Did you run away in your 
nightie and come over to see me 

And Olive sang, “Whip-poor-will! 
Whip-poor-will !” And then what do you 
think she did ? She swung out from a 
bough, and right into the open window 
where Janey was standing! The tree 
grew very close to Janey’ s window. 

And Olive said, “ I ran away to stay 
all night with you because you are going 
away. Mamma said I could.” 

And Janey laughed and clapped her 
129 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


hands, and said, “ But what made you 
come in the window ? Why didn’t you 
come in the door?” 

And Olive said, “I wanted to do some- 
thing funny so you wouldn’t forget me, 
Janey !” 

And Janey hugged Olive, and said, “I’ll 
never forget you, Olive — never, no never, 
no never !” 

And Janey and Olive crept into bed, 
and snuggled down close together. 

And Olive said, “You never will forget 
the beautiful day when we played fairies 
down by the waterfall in the woods, will 
you, Janey 

And Janey said, “No, I’ll never forget 
that day.” 

And Olive put her face down in the 
pillow and began to cry! 

And Janey hugged Olive, and said, 
130 


GOOD-BYE, LITTLE TOWN! 

“Why do you cry, dear Olive — because 
I am going away ?” 

And Olive said, “Yes; you are my little 
cousin, and I love you — I can’t help but 
cry!” 

And Janey said, “ Oh, Olive, don’t cry, 
or I’ll cry, too !’•’ 

And Olive said, “Are you very happy 
because you are going home ?” 

And Janey said, “Yes, my home is so 
beautiful, Olive ! Arabella and Araminta 
come over almost every day to play, and 
I want to see my dear little pony.” 

And Olive said, “Won’t you miss little 
Aunt Ackey.^” 

For a minute Janey thought she was 
going to cry. She sat up in bed, and 
looked out into the moonlight, and said, 
“Yes, I’ll miss little Aunt Ackey, and I’ll 
miss you, Olive, and I love this dear little 

13 1 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


town 5 but there is a special big reason 
why I am glad I am going home.” 

And Olive said, “ What is the special 
big reason why you are glad, Janey 

And Janey said, “Because Papa is go- 
ing to build me a beautiful playhouse with 
three rooms in it, and a dear little kitchen, 
and because I’ll have to help Aunt Susan 
Mehetible, dear, take care of little Janey.” 
And Olive sat up in bed and looked out 
in the moonlight, and said, “I wish I could 
go home with you!” 

Janey was still for a moment, and then 
she clapped her hands, and said, “ Olive, 
let us get up and run away to your house, 
and coax your Mamma to let you go home 
with me!” 

And Olive hugged Janey, and said, “Oh, 
Janey, do you suppose Mamma would let 
me go .^” 


13^ 



OLIVE SANG, ‘whip-poor-will!’ AND JANEY SANG, ‘ WHIP-POOR-WILL ! ”’ 



GOOD-BYE, LITTLE TOWN! 

And Janey jumped out of bed, and said, 
“Yes, I know she will let you go if I coax 
her.” 

And Olive jumped out of bed and ran 
to the window, and said, “You are too little 
to climb out of the window on the limb of 
the locust-tree, Janey.” 

And Janey said, “I’m not afraid if 
you’re not, Olive.” 

The big limb of the locust-tree was right 
close to the window, and Olive stepped 
out and held to the limb above her. Then 
brave little Janey stepped out, and there 
they were, out in the moonlight in the big 
locust-tree ! 

And Olive sang, “Whip-poor-will! 
Whip-poor-will !” 

And Janey sang, “Whip-poor-will! 
Whip-poor-will !” 

They looked like two big white birds, 

133 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


in their nighties, sitting out there in the 
moonlight. 

And all at once they heard some one 
giggle and laugh — and there were Josey 
and Joe at the window ! 

And Janey whispered aloud, “ Keep 
still ! — don’t tell ! We are going to run 
away and go over to Olive’s house and 
coax her Mamma to let her go home with 
us!” 

And Josey said, “Oh, I want to go, 
too !” 

And Joe said, “ Oh, I want to go, 
too !” 

And Janey said, “All right, we’ll all go 
together and coax her.” 

And the next minute Josey and Joe 
were out in the big locust-tree, too. And 
they all climbed down and scampered away 
through a little field to Olive’s house. 

134 


GOOD-BYE, LITTLE TOWN! 

Olive’s Mamma was sound asleep, and 
when she woke up the first thing she heard 
was, “ Whip-poor-will ! Whip-poor-will !” 
And the first things she saw were four little 
white whip-poor-wills at her bedside. 

And she sat up in bed, and said, “Why, 
my dears, what are you all doing here at 
this time of night It was ten o’clock. 

And Janey said, “Oh, Auntie, we’ve 
come to coax you and tease you to let 
Olive go home with us on the cars to- 
morrow and stay till my playhouse is 
done.” 

And little Joe said, “ Oh, please let her 
go, please let Olive go !” 

And Josey said, “ Please, please say she 
can go, dear Auntie !” 

And Olive’s Mamma sat up in bed and 
laughed, and said, “Why, I wouldn’t have 
time to make her any new clothes.” 

135 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Josey said, “She can wear my 
dresses — I’ve got so many.” 

And Janey said, “And Aunt Susan 
Mehetible, dear, will give Olive some beau- 
tiful new dresses. I will coax her to do 
it.” 

And little Joe said, “ Please let her 
go!” 

And Olive’s Mamma laughed, and said, 
“ I’ll let her go if your Mamma and Papa 
are willing. Yes, I’ll let her go.” 

And Janey danced around the room, 
and said, “Oh, goody, goody-gander!” 

And they all kissed Olive’s Mamma 
good-night, and ran back across the little 
field to the little house and stood on the 
door-step — the little rogues — and sang, 
“ Whip-poor-will I Whip-poor-will !” 

They sang it very loud ! And in a little 
minute Janey’s Mamma opened the door, 
136 


GOOD-BYE, LITTLE TOWN! 

and said, “Why children, what are you 
doing out here in your night-clothes at 
this time of night?” 

And Janey said, “ Oh, Mamma, we’ve 
all been over to coax Olive’s Mamma to 
let her go home with us and stay until my 
playhouse is done !” 

And little Joe said, “ Her Mamma says 
she can go I” 

And Josey said, “Olive can go, can’t 
she. Mamma?” 

And Mrs. Monroe laughed, and said, 
“ Why, of course she can go, you dear, 
lovable children ; of course she can go.” 

And Janey said, “She is going to stay 
all night with me to-night because it is our 
very last night in this dear little town.” 

And Mamma laughed, and said, “Well, 
come in, you little white whip-poor-wills, 
and scamper away to bed !” 

137 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Janey and Josey and Joe and Olive 
all sang, “ Whip-poor-will ! Whip-poor- 
will !” They sang it very loud. 

And Papa called, “ Keep still out there, 
you naughty, wild things, and let me go 
to sleep !” 

And when Janey and Olive were in bed 
again and all cuddled down and ready to 
go to sleep, Janey said, “ Good-bye, dear 
little town, good-bye ! I’ll never forget 
this funny night !” 

The next day they all went away on the 
cars to Janey’ s beautiful home, and little 
Olive went too. 

And Olive stayed two nice long months, 
and saw the playhouse when it was finished 
— the wonderful playhouse, with its three 
little rooms and its dear little kitchen. 


OH, HAPPY DAY! 


O NE warm afternoon Janey and 
Josey and Joe went over to Aunt 
Susan Mehetible’s house to spend 
the day. 

Little Jamey boy was away. He had 
gone in town with Grandpa to have his 
picture taken. 

Janey and Josey and Joe and Aunt 
Susan Mehetible, dear, were all out on the 
piazza together. 

And Aunt Susan said, “When I was 
a little girl I used to go down to that 
little lake in my garden and go in bath- 
ing when it was warm, as it is to-day.” 

139 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And little Joe said, “ Oh, Aunt Susan 
Mehetible, dear, isn’t the water very deep 
in that little lake ?” 

And Aunt Susan said, “ No, indeed ; 
that little lake was made for little boys 
and girls to bathe in.” 

And Janey said, “Why, Aunt Susan, 
dear, you told me I must never, never go 
near that little lake or I might tumble in !” 

And Aunt Susan laughed, and said, 
“Yes, I did tell you that, dear Janey, 
but now you are seven years old and it 
is time you learned to swim.” 

And little Joe danced around on the 
piazza, and said, “ I’ll teach you to swim, 
dear Janey. Aunt Susan, dear, asked us 
to come over here this very warm day so 
I could teach you and Josey to swim.” 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, shook 
her finger at Janey, and said, “Now, 
140 


OH, HAPPY DAY! 

listen to me, Little Precious : you must 
never go near that little lake unless little 
Joe is with you.” 

And Janey jumped up and down, and 
said, “ May we all go in bathing right 
now. Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear 

And Aunt Susan said, “Yes; but wait 
one moment, I have a beautiful surprise 
for each of you.” 

And Aunt Susan went into the house, 
and when she came out she had — what 
do you guess she had for Janey and Josey 
and Joe } 

She had a little red bathing -suit for 
Janey, and a blue bathing-suit for Josey, 
and a yellow bathing-suit for Joe ! 

And Janey and Josey and Joe all 
jumped up and down and clapped their 
hands, and said, “ Oh, goody, goody, 
goody ! three beautiful bathing-suits I” 

141 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, said, 
“ Now, run up-stairs and take off all your 
clothes and put on these beautiful bath- 
ing-suits, and then we will go down to the 
little lake and Joe shall teach his sisters 
to swim.” 

And in a very few minutes Janey and 
Josey and Joe came running down -stairs 
and out on the piazza in their bright- 
colored bathing-suits. 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible clapped her 
hands, and said, “ I declare, here come a 
red fish and a yellow fish and a blue fish !” 

And Josey said, “ Little Joe is a gold 
fish, because his bathing-suit is yellow.” 

And Janey said, “ Did you ever see a 
truly red fish or a truly blue fish. Aunt 
Susan, dear.J^” 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible said, “ Oh 
yes. Little Precious j some day you shall go 
142 


OH, HAPPY DAY! 

with me to a beautiful island in the sea and 
see a truly blue fish and a truly red fish.” 

And Janey and Josey and Joe and 
Aunt Susan, dear, all went down to the 
dear little lake near Aunt Susan Meheti- 
ble’s house. 

And little Joe ran right into the water 
and kicked up his heels, and said, “Now, 
see this gold fish swim !” 

And away he swam, like a fish. 

And Janey and Josey took hold of 
hands and walked way out in the water. 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible sat on a 
seat under a tree and watched them. 

And Janey called, “Aunt Susan, dear, 
was that red fish you saw afraid to swim 

And Aunt Susan laughed, and said, 
“ No, indeed ; a red fish is not afraid to 
swim, so how can you be afraid, little red 
fish 


143 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And Janey lay down in the water and 
began to try to swim. And Josey lay down 
in the water and began to try to swim. 

And little Joe showed them how to 
move their arms and legs. He taught 
them how to swim. 

And after a little while Aunt Susan 
Mehetible, dear, said, “ Come out of the 
water, you lovable children, and see what 
else I have planned to do to-day.” 

And very soon Janey and Josey and 
Joe ran up to the house and took off 
their bathing- suits and put on their 
clothes again. 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible said, “ I 
have made you each a fairy cooky. Now, 
run and hunt till you find them all.” 

Janey and Josey and Joe never had 
seen fairy cookies. They did not know 
what they were. 


144 




OH, HAPPY DAY! 

And Aunt Susan, dear, said, “ Each fairy 
cooky is on a tiny blue plate. Now, hunt; 
now, run and hunt till you find them all.” 

And Janey and Josey and Joe began 
to hunt for the fairy cookies. 

And all at once Janey found a very 
large cooky in a bureau drawer. 

And all at once Josey found a very 
large cooky on the table, under a paper. 

And all at once little Joe found a very 
large cooky on the book-shelf 

And Aunt Susan, dear, laughed, and 
said, “You must be careful when you 
eat fairy cookies. Sometimes they are 
seasoned with very strange fruit.” 

And Janey took a bite of her cooky, 
and said, “Oh! oh! I’ve found a bright 
new dime in my wonderful fairy cooky !” 

And Josey said, “Oh! I’ve found a 
new dime in my cooky, too !” 

1 45 


LITTLE PRECIOUS 


And little Joe said, “Oh! I’ve found 
two dimes in my fairy cooky! Two 
bright new dimes !” 

And Janey eat her cooky very fast ; and 
how many dimes do you think she found 
in that wonderful cooky ? She found four 
bright new dimes in her cooky. 

And Josey found three dimes in her 
cooky. 

And Janey hugged Aunt Susan Me- 
hetible, dear, and said, “ Oh, I never — 
no, never — had such a good time when I 
came to your house before !” 

And little Joe said, “ My cooky only 
had two dimes in it !” 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, kissed 
little Joe, and said, “Never mind j you may 
find six dimes in a fairy cooky some day. 
You never can tell what the fairies will do.” 

And Janey said, “ May we hunt for 
146 


OH, HAPPY DAY! 

fairy cookies whenever we come to your 
splendid house to stay all day, Aunt Su- 
san, dear?” 

And Aunt Susan Mehetible, dear, 
laughed, and said, “ Well, no, not every 
time. Little Precious ; but once every 
month you may all come and spend the 
day with me, and we’ll have a grand hunt 
for fairy cookies.” 

And Janey said, “Will we always find 
dimes in our cookies. Aunt Susan Me- 
hetible, dear ?” 

And Aunt Susan laughed, and said, 
“ H ow can I tell what the fairies will 
put in your cookies? You may find a 
bright new dollar in a fairy cooky some 
day 5 who knows ?” 


THE END 





22 1904 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 


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